Patriots (West End) London Reviews and Tickets

87%

(98 Reviews)

Positive

90%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Clever, Absorbing, Great acting, Entertaining, Ambitious

About the Show

Tom Hollander reprises his role in the West End transfer of Peter Morgan's Soviet-era play.

As a new generation of oligarchs fights to seize control of Russia's assets, billionaire businessman Boris Berezovsky hustles his way into the President's inner circle. 'Patriots' charts his rise to the top of Russia's elite and his fall from grace, becoming enemy #1.

BAFTA Award-winning actor Tom Hollander ('The Night Manager', 'Travesties', 'Rev.') reprises the role of Boris Berezovsky in Peter Morgan's ('The Crown', 'Frost/Nixon') 'Patriots', which debuted at the Almeida Theatre in 2022.

Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold ('Ink', 'Albion') directs this production, which is recommended for ages 14+.

Member Reviews (98)

100

Thought-provoking, Great staging, Great writing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You want a deep and intense story and subject matter but is told in a way which feels easy to follow with great staging.

Don't see it if You want light hearted entertainment.

Intelligent, Relevant, Great writing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you’d appreciate a serious look at contemporary history and the machinations behind Putin’s rise to power

Don't see it if you’re looking for light entertainment or prefer more tightly-edited works Read more

Relevant, Intelligent, Clever

See it if You want a captivating meaty drama about human nature and consequences of decisions. The performances capture the essence of the people well

Don't see it if You aren’t interested in political dramas

Relevant, Intelligent, Great acting, Absorbing, Clever

See it if You like politics and current affairs. Amazing performance by Tom Hollander. Captivating plot and nice staging.

Don't see it if You don't like the subject matter. Read more

Great acting, Great writing, Great staging, Relevant, Absorbing

See it if You enjoy well acted Contemporary drama

Don't see it if Swearing offends you Read more

Profound, Ambitious, Absorbing, Intelligent, Must see

See it if you'd like a great theatrical piece.

Don't see it if you can't have an open mind for anything about Russia.

Great acting, Entertaining, Ambitious, Clever, Absorbing

See it if you enjoy politics, you want to learn more about Putin's rise to power, or you were following the Berezovsky / Abramovich court case.

Don't see it if you can't take things with a grain of salt, you want a fun and happy play, or you have no interest in Russia. Read more

Great acting, Intelligent, Slow, Relevant

See it if you like very, very wordy plays and have an interest in politics. Or if you just want to see an acting master class by Tom Hollander.

Don't see it if you like more lighthearted plays: this is long and slow to the extreme but it’s interesting and rewarding if you have the patience for it. Read more

Critic Reviews (8)

"The script is consistently witty and smart but inevitably, with so much information and history to pack in, some of the dialogue is on the nose."
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"Where portrayals of Hitler can go to town with that rising tide of mania, Putin is a relatively anti-dramatic figure, and Morgan takes the added risk of barely fleshing out his past. Still, you can see why Keen got an Olivier for his performance as the West’s nemesis."
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"It’s the sort of evening where the mood can turn on a rouble, leaving you with the ghost of a smile on your face as comedy turns to tragedy."
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"Telling this story is a political act; telling it with such calmness and clarity in a packed West End house, even more so."
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" 'Patriots' is not the easiest of plays to perform at the present time, given its subject matter... Brilliant writing, outstanding direction and absolutely magnificent performances from the entire cast but especially Tom Hollander and Will Keen make this a sensational watch...This is one show that continues to find success as its ambition grows."
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" 'Patriots' is a fine example of what Peter Morgan does best, it takes the key facts that most people already know, and shapes and entire narrative around them. How much of what happens on stage is actually true is anybody’s guess, but regardless, it’s riveting from start to finish."
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"The show reinforces that these atrocities are going unpunished as we write this review. Yet coming away from the play, it’s almost as if it is missing a true conclusion."
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