If you are into political plays or have any interest in finding out how a power-hungry, murdering, dictator is created, then I hope you had the chance to see “Patriots” which played at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on W. 47th Street. This gripping play laid out how the horrible Vladimir Putin came into power in Russia. It let the audience see that he was in a lowly political office as a deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, but when he caught the attention of Boris Berezovsky, Putin got a taste of power he should never have had. This drama had enthralling, devastating writing by Peter Morgan and captivating direction by Rupert Goold.
Every scene held your attention as you watched the Russian power structure collapse and the country fall into the hands of a narcissistic, murderous, tyrant, and witnessed all the dirty dealings, poisoning and vicious murders that occurred just for the sake of keeping Putin in power. If you didn’t know that politics can be a very dirty game, where human life is worthless given the right scenarios, then you will know it after experiencing “Patriots.”
This cast kept the audience on the edge of their seats. They were captivating to watch. Michael Stuhlbarg was stunning as Boris Berezovsky, an obnoxious, ruthless character that found out one should be careful of what one wishes for. Will Keen was brutally chilling in his role as Vladmir Putin. At times he came across as having no humanity at all; his cruelty was palpable. Other featured members of the 18-member cast who delivered fantastic performances and assisted in the incredible story flow included Luke Thallon as Roman Abramovich, Stella Baker as Marina Litvinenko, Ronald Guttman as Professor Perelman and Alex Hurt as Alexander Litvinenko.
The technical aspects of this production also lend themselves to the gripping presentation of this play and include set design by Miriam Buether, co-costume design by Deborah Andrews and Buether, lighting design by Jack Knowles, sound design and music by Adam Cork and video design by Ash J. Woodward.
“Patriots” is a political story that truly shone a light on the cruelty of a ruthless dictator.