Video transcript: Summerfolk at the National Theatre is a big play. It’s got a huge cast. It’s also long, nearly three hours, including an interval.
It’s been adapted by Nina and Moses Raine. The language has been updated, but the costume and setting are still period. It’s plenty of wit and humour and bubbles of laughter throughout, which I enjoyed.
The language has been updated. It’s modern, and I found that a little bit jarring when characters are suddenly using swear words and talking very explicitly.
I’m not sure, the modern and the period actually gelled that well together.
The cast is also huge. That was problematic for me, because it’s very difficult, they have quite a lot of similar sounding names, and I found it quite difficult to follow who was who and who was being talked about.
And also, I didn’t feel you really got to know any of them in any great detail. So by the end of it, I’m just not sure I really care that much about these characters.
There is some interesting stuff in there, around pulling the ladder up. When you’ve worked your way up and got yourself into a better position, gone from working class to, say, middle class.
There’s some interesting stuff in there about how you then treat the working classes.
But overall, it was all right. I wasn’t that fussed about it.
Summerfolk, National Theatre
Written by Maxim Gorky in a new adaptation by Nina Raine and Moses Raine
Directed by Robert Hastie
Cast includes: Alex Lawther, Doon Mackichan, Justin Mitchell, Paul Ready and Sophie Rundle.
Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes, including an interval.
Booking until 29 April, 2026.
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