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A Man For All Seasons: Seagull True Story - Marylebone Theatre

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It's not often that you see a play that tells you not so much a story but gives you a sense of how it feels to be in a situation, how it feels to be silenced, how it feels to be marginalised, how the dead hand of consensus stifles your creativity. However, in Seagull True Story, created and directed by Alexander Molochnikov and based on his own experiences fleeing Russia and trying to establish himself in New York, we have a chance to look beyond the headlines and understand how the war in Ukraine impacted a a group of ordinary creatives in Russia. And how the gradual smothering of freedom and freedom of expression becomes impossible to resist, except for the brave or the suicidal. Against the backdrop of Chekhov's The Seagull, which explores love and other forms of disappointment, it presents a gripping and enthralling depiction of freedom of expression in the face of adversity. After playing earlier this year in New York, it plays a limited run at the Marylebone Theatre . Fro...

Travelin' Through: Broken Toys @CervantesTheatr


Things are a bit different at the Cervantes Theatre when you see Broken Toys. You enter through the upstairs dressing rooms and go down to the theatre. It is a circuitous route, much like the story of Marion. You end up in the same place but have taken a different journey. And like what the old prostitute said. It's not the work but the stairs. And there before you is the theatre, but not entirely as I recall it. It feels like an intimate cabaret venue with tables and a shiny stage.

And there we are introduced to Marion. Marion grew up in a small town during the Franco regime. A place where looking a bit different could make you the subject of gossip and a threat to your life. And despite being assigned male at birth and the attempts of family and father figures, she was an outsider in her town. 


And so Marion sets off on a journey to the city. And in the shadows, she finds a place to hide. But with guidance from drag performer Dorian Delacroix begins to find her voice. Her journey ultimately takes her back to where she came from. 

It's a simple story boosted by engaging performances and a sense of time and place. Hayley Rose gives a nuanced performance as the unsure Marion, who is learning to become herself. So much that you feel like you are with her on this personal journey. As drag performer Dorin, Guy Woolf lights up the stage, especially when performing two cabaret songs in the piece. Miles Molan plays various supporting characters in Marion's life, including her love interests.

Small steps become significant, profound movements. And there's a reminder that politicians are eroding trans rights, such as those who espouse white Christian nationalism—a unique blend of racism, conspiracy, paranoia, wedge issues and a fascination with Russia. While most of it is in the  United States, there are the usual suspects and backers worldwide. A handy reminder that people are working hard to take away the rights and freedoms of others. 

Directed by Raymi Ortuste Quiroga, written by Carolina Román and translated by L. Finch, Broken Toys is at the Cervantes Theatre during Pride Month until 1 July.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Photos by Elena Molina Martínez

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