Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 begins performances

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 begins performances at the Donmar Warehouse tonight, 9 December.

Dave Malloy’s musical was nominated for 12 Tony Awards on Broadway in 2017, after originally running at the Ars Nova in 2012.

Inspired by a section of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, the plot follows Natasha Rostova, who falls for a charismatic aristocrat while awaiting her fiancé’s return from the front lines. Pierre, an unlikely hero, steps in to restore her reputation.

Leading the show are Declan Bennett (Pierre) and Chumisa Dornford-May (Countess Natasha Rostova). They’re joined by Daniel Krikler (Fedya Dolokhov), and Eugene McCoy (Prince Bolkonsky/Andrey).

The cast is completed by Annette McLaughlin (Marya Dimitriyevna), Maimuna Memon (Sonya Rostova), Jamie Muscato (Anatole), Cedric Neal (Balaga), Chloe Saracco (Mary) and Cat Simmons (Helene Kuragina Bezukhova), with Andrew Berlin, Kimberly Blake, Ali Goldsmith, Chihiro Kawasaki, Nitai Levi and Annie Majin.

Directed by Tim Sheader, with choreography by Ellen Kane and musical supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck, the production features set design by Leslie Travers, costume design by Evie Gurney, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Nick Lidster and Gareth Tucker for Autograph, and musical direction by Sam Young. The casting is directed by Pippa Ailion for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting, with Fiona Dunn as associate director, Nuno Silva as associate choreographer, Richard Johnston as associate casting director and Grace Duggan as resident assistant director.

The UK premiere takes place at the Donmar Warehouse from 9 December 2024 to 8 February 2025.

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