A Month in the Country at the Donmar Warehouse Review
Patrick Gibson, Sophie Okonedo and Alistair Petrie in A Month in the Country at the Donmar Warehouse. Photo: Helen Murray
Brian Friel’s adaptation of Ivan Tugenev’s only well-known play has opened at The Donmar Warehouse. Combining humour and humility, it explores the intertwining relationships across a family and their wider circle within a Russian country house. Set in the mid-century it is timelessly humorous and reminiscent of the original with a new lease of life from Friel’s script.
Friel is well renowned for his masterful playwriting, and A Month in the Country is no exception. His script is a raw and human take on the original, allowing you to fully dive into the story and feel the characters’ emotions. It’s evident the entire cast are enjoying the script as much as the audience, delving deep into their characters and playing beautifully off one another.
Centred around Natalya (Sophie Okonedo) and her mischievous ways - her dull marriage to Arkady (Thomas Arnold), the futile doting of family friend Michael (Alistair Petrie) and her new found desire for the young Aleksey (Patrick Gibson), the plot only unravels into more chaos with the help of Arkady’s mother Anna (Susan Brown) further stirring the pot. Then there’s Natalya’s loyal ward - Vera (Rachelle Diedericks) whose infatuation with Aleksey only leads to hurt for herself, and immense jealousy for Natalya.
At times it feels farcical but Friel’s brilliant script prevents it from falling into this slapdash genre and retains its genius messiness whilst still feeling nuanced and complex. Friel introduces multiple secondary characters to the core family, and muddles their relationships into the mix yet somehow it is incredibly clear at all moments how they all intertwine and play off of one another.
Lyndsey Turner’s direction brilliantly unpicks this complexly witty script and brings it to life, retaining all the mess and humour whilst portraying the hurt that comes with the characters’ choices. It’s incredibly multifaceted and Turner excellently portrays this.
Lesley Travers’ set design is gorgeously magical - feeling almost Shakespearean in its mythic woodland-esque nature. A glass box filled with greenery lowers and rises over the stage, transitioning the stage between its different locations within the country home whilst retaining its whimsical nature.
Okonedo leads and offers a performance as layered and refined as to be expected. Mark Hadfield comically plays Herr Schaaf, Jessica Brindle and Jonathan Livingstone play off one another with first-rate comedic effect. The entire cast are a harmonious unit treading the fine line of wit and hurt, and bringing the many layers of this play to life.
The addition of voiceovers for some signifying the characters’ internal battles with their minds further adds to the madness and rage of the play, and expresses the compressed thoughts we perhaps don’t always see in a play - a clever yet painful addition to Friel’s play.
This adaptation of Friel (after Tugenev’s) play is as timeless and superb as you’d hope for. It’s original, contemporary yet loyal without feeling like a restoration. A Month in the Country is a brilliant play that transcends eras and despite the original being over 150 years old, and Friel’s being over three decades in age it feels as contemporary and original today.
A Month in the Country runs at the Donmar Warehouse until Saturday 3rd October 2
★★★★
Written by Annie for Theatre and Tonic, September 2026.