Mother Russia
- Hampstead Theatre
- Booking details
- Booking from: Friday, 11 December 2026 Booking until: Saturday, 30 January 2027
- Age restrictions
- Important information - Please read
Mother Russia description
About the Show
St Petersburg, 1992, in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Evgeny and Dmitri are two young friends who stumble into the new economy through surveillance work and racketeering. They are paid to follow Katya, a Western-educated woman, and the arrangement unravels when Evgeny falls in love with the person he is meant to be watching.
Mother Russia is a comedy about the arrival of the free market and whether its promises of personal freedom were ever kept. This is the UK premiere, following the play's first production at Signature Theatre in New York, where The New York Times called it "a new play that's as funny as it's smart".
Cast and Creatives
The play is written by Lauren Yee, the American playwright behind Cambodian Rock Band and The Great Leap and one of the most widely produced playwrights in the United States in recent years. It is directed by Oscar Toeman, making his Hampstead debut; he was Baylis Director at the Old Vic from 2023 to 2025 and his credits include The Sugar Syndrome by Lucy Prebble and The Misfortune of the English by Pamela Carter.
Casting is to be announced. The production plays in Hampstead Downstairs, the theatre's studio space, with an age guidance of 14+; it contains strong language and references to death, guns, violence, war and suicide.
Why You Should Watch It
A sharp, funny UK premiere about friendship, money and being watched, set at the exact moment one system gave way to another. Book tickets for Mother Russia at Hampstead Theatre.
