Once again, The Old Vic is bringing an incredible cast to its world-famous stage for a jaw-dropping production. The world premiere of Lucy Prebble’s A Very Expensive Poison is opening for a strictly limited run later this week. Can’t wait that long? Well, you can get a sneak peek into rehearsals below.
A Very Expensive Poison is the reimagining of the notorious death of Alexander Litvinenko. Based on Luke Harding’s remarkable investigation into the infamous case, the play sends you careering through the murky world of international espionage – everpresent, everywhere from Moscow to Mayfair. The result of years of interviews and reporting on the incident, this new play by The Old Vic’s Associate Artist is a thrilling exploration of a true crime that shocked the world.
The show stars Tom Brooke (The Boat That Rocked, Sherlock, The Bodyguard) as Alexander Litvinenko, MyAnna Buring (The Wasp, West End) as Marina Litvinenko, Reece Shearsmith (The League Of Gentlemen, Psychoville) as The President, and Peter Polycarpou (Oslo, West End) as Boris Bereszovsky. It’s directed by John Crowley whose previous theatre credits include The Playboy Of The Western World at The Old Vic, along with The Pillowman at the National Theatre and on Broadway, and the BAFTA-winning film Brooklyn. His upcoming works include the film The Goldfinch.
A Very Expensive Poison will run from 19 August to 28 September.