Mark Ravenhill’s new translation of Brecht’s tale of a Russian mother’s journey from political apathy to activism feels leaden and dated. Its point about workers’ rights has the wearisome relentlessness of a manifesto and the bombast of a rock opera. This bludgeoning tone isn’t softened by the glaringly symbolic cogs that litter the stage or the anti-Bolshevik orthodox farmers bizarrely presented as preening Welsh queens.
Nevertheless, the cast – which crosses productions – is uniformly strong. Eugene Washington is an aloof but endearing Fogg while Nicky Goldie is versatile as gossipy missionary Miss Fotherington and indomitable revolutionary mother Pelegea Vlassova.