Holy Fool tickets

The acting was top-notch, with a dark, atmospheric tone that really pulled you into the story

I'm Russian, and it mattered to me that the topic was interesting to a British audience, although the representation of Soviet people wasn't believable, apart from the clothing. The second act was wild: it was not only fictionalised and impossible, both as a plot and in terms of what might actually have happened, but also sort of so bold and lacking in nuance that it was hard to believe someone could simultaneously like and appreciate Shostakovich and not see how grotesque it was. The message of the second act was also unclear. While the first act correctly conveyed the struggles of Shostakovich's life, the second seemed to shift the focus to the advantages of living in the US, the land of the free. Besides, one doesn't really learn enough about Shostakovich himself, his life or his music, and the main character ends up being the plumber girl rather than Shostakovich.

I probably should have brushed up on my history with this one but the acting and pacing was really keeping my attention nonetheless