Nina Raine’s production of Moses Raine’s Moscow-set familial drama Donkey Heart will become the latest Old Red Lion hit to transfer to the Trafalgar Studio 2 in January.
Following in the successful footsteps of previous recent transfers from the Islington venue including The Play That Goes Wrong and Mercury Fur, the creative siblings’ collaboration will run at the intimate West End theatre from 7 to 31 January following its sell-out premiere run earlier this year.
Taking inspiration from the pair’s own Russian roots, Moses’ drama tells the story of three generations of one family living in Moscow.
Set after communism, life for the family is utterly different and yet somehow eerily familiar. Petya’s dodging the draft, Sasha’s jumping with every ring of the bell, Ivan’s brought a mysterious stranger home, and now their guest Thomas is asking questions.
Questioning whether you can trust even your nearest and dearest, Donkey Heart is the first theatrical production Nina and Verity Bargate Award winner Moses have collaborated on, following on screen work co-writing episodes of the BBC drama Mistresses.
The transfer of their critically acclaimed production will see original cast members Pierre Atri, Emily Bruni, Lisa Diveney, Patrick Godfrey, Georgia Henshaw, Alex Large, Albie Marber, Paul Wyett and James Musgrave return to their roles.
Donkey Heart will mark the second of Raine’s productions to play in London in the coming months, as she prepares for Hampstead Theatre’s revival of Tiger County; her 2011 hit hospital-set drama that she both wrote and directed.