Arcola Theatre announces new Russian season

The Arcola Theatre in east London will stage a new Russian season early next year. The line-up begins in January, with Maxim Gorky's play The Lower Depths.

The season, titled Revolution, will look at the impact of the Russian Revolution, 100 years on.

The Lower Depths is translated by Jeremy Brooks and Kitty Hunter-Blair and will be directed by Helena Kaut-Howson. The play is one of the Russian writer's more well known pieces and focuses on a group of poverty-stricken people living in a shelter. Stanislavski starred in and directed the play's first outing in 1902.

Kaut-Howson returns to the Arcola following her work at the theatre on Platanov, Uncle Vanya and Yerma.

Also in the season is the world premiere of a new play by Oladipo Agboluaje called The New Nigerians. The piece is set in Nigeria during the lead up to a political revolution in the 21st century. Rosamunde Hutt directs the piece, which runs from 14 February to 11 March.

Elsewhere in the Russian season, Arcola artistic director Mehmet Ergan will direct a new version of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. Adapted by Trevor Griffiths, the piece looks follows a woman returning to her family estate as debts begin to pile up. The show runs from 15 February to 25 March.