Donmar Review: Under the Dark Starry Sky, 'Great Comet of 1812' Ruminates What Is Seen (and Not) in a Theatre Show About Theatre

★★★★ | Seeing and being seen are the focus of the Donmar Warehouse’s new production of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. This is Tim Sheader’s directorial debut as the Donmar’s new Artistic Director, and he definitely does not disappoint.

The UK premiere of Dave Malloy’s musical, adapted from a 70-page sliver of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, follows Natasha Rostova (a young countess betrothed to Andrey) and Pierre, “one of a hundred sad old men” in Moscow (and Andrey’s best friend). We witness Natasha’s giddy whirl through Moscow’s high society and eventual spiral down the social hierarchy, paralleled with Pierre’s journey to find happiness and satisfaction with his life. What (and who) we don’t see, however, is Andrey, the soldier fighting on the frontlines of the Napoleonic Wars, and for that matter, the war itself.

To an audience in London’s West End, we cannot help but be reminded of the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and multiple other places around the world. Both Andrey and the war loom large in the background, and the creative team chooses to physicalise this in the occasional appearances of two ghostly masked figures (a bride and a uniformed groom in period dress).

Ali Goldsmith and Chihiro Kawasaki in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Malloy’s lyrics and book already lay the groundwork for a metatheatrical reading of the show but this production brings it into the foreground. The strength of Sheader’s direction here lies in the commitment to this choice. The show is explicitly self-reflexive, confronting the audience with the fact that they are — as Malloy points out repeatedly in the opening number — “at the opera”. Set designer Leslie Travers uses flight cases as part of the set and leaves the theatre’s flooring exposed; bright marquee lights adorn a giant ‘O’ suspended above the stage, and the band plays in full view. 

The most interesting bit of writing is Malloy’s choice to quote passages from War and Peace and place them in the mouths of the actors, bringing into light the problem of adapting novelistic narration into a musical. My one wish is for there to have been some acknowledgement of the fact that this is not only a textual adaptation, but also a staging adaptation (in the sense of a time and place transfer), as the production evolves from its off-Broadway origins and Tony-winning Broadway production to the West End. It would have been interesting to see Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 engage more with this equally important aspect of adaptation. 

Declan Bennett (as Pierre) leads the company of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Nevertheless, there is also an effective use of lighting design (by Howard Hudson) and unconventional lighting sources that heighten this sense of seeing — and not — for us. Particularly, the use of candles and opera glasses in two scenes dealing heavily with the gaze of high society draws us into Natasha’s point of view and makes us her co-conspirators.

Performance-wise, Chumisa Dornford-May gives us a Natasha who is equal parts endearing and frustratingly naïve. Besides a beautifully clear rendition of the opera-inspired ballad ‘No One Else’, the highlight of Dornford-May’s performance is her nuanced portrayal of Natasha’s confusion and heartbreak by the end of the show. Opposite her is another stand-out performance in the form of Maimuna Memon as Sonya Rostova, Natasha’s cousin and friend. Memon’s powerful voice and grounding presence provide an effective foil to Natasha’s teenage chaos. 

Ellen Kane’s choreography, ranging in style from contemporary ballet and sensual waltz to high-spirited jig, truly shines in the ensemble members’ performances. Particularly, Chihiro Kawasaki and Ali Goldsmith’s performances in ‘The Opera’ are impressive displays of highly technical, story-laden dancing.

The company of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

This production boasts a cohesive set of elements that sweeps us along in a comment on what theatre can both insulate us from and expose about us. Its ending is cautiously optimistic. As the titular Great Comet traces its way across the sky and light sweeps across the theatre (arguably Hudson’s best bit of lighting design in this show), the score takes an ominous turn. The contrasting lighting design, musical backing, and prosaic text pull the distant war sharply back into focus as the show closes on Declan Bennett’s Pierre — who stands in the middle of Prechistensky Boulevard on the edge of a “new life”, blissfully unaware of Napoleon’s impending invasion of Russia. 

★★★★

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 plays at the Donmar Warehouse until 8 February, 2025.