“There’s this monstrous idiot – this monstrous elected idiot – who keeps telling his fellow-idiots to throw my books on a bonfire and beat me up in the street…”

★★★★ ‘A dark and haunting romance’ The Reviews Hub
‘Gripping study of obsession and fantasy’ The Guardian
‘Handsomely staged, beautifully acted’ The Times
‘Stylish and sexually charged’ The Stage

Vienna, 1934. Stefan is one of the world’s most successful authors – widely read, universally admired, and translated into every language. His is the life of a wealthy playboy, enjoying only the finest things in life – from luxurious world travel to the company of his most dazzling contemporaries in Europe’s most fashionable restaurants. Only two things cloud his prospects: the rise of the Nazi Party, and the sudden appearance of a woman who he clearly knows… but who he cannot, for the life of him, remember…

Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of the short story by Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) receives its English Language premiere following a triumphant run at Vienna’s Josefstadt Theater. Winner of multiple awards including two Oscars, Hampton’s plays include Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Tales from Hollywood and The Philanthropist, and he is celebrated for his translations of Reza and Zeller.

Chelsea Walker returns to Hampstead to direct following her acclaimed productions of Yous Two and This Much I Know. Her recent work includes On the Beach (Sheffield), Missing Julie (Theatr Clwyd), Hedda Gabler (Sherman), Cougar (Orange Tree) and A Streetcar Named Desire (ETT).