'I feel like, soon, the day after tomorrow, some other people are going to come, a strong, bold race, and sweep us off the face of the earth like litter.'

It's a hot, beautiful summer in 1905, and Russia's elite retreats to the countryside to swim, sip champagne and start affairs. 

When you're having this much fun, why care about anything else? But Vavara can't shake the feeling that they're living on stolen time. How long can they go on ignoring the storm that's gathering on the horizon?

A razor-sharp portrait of class, privilege and denial, Summerfolk was written by Maxim Gorky in 1904. This adaptation by Nina Raine and Moses Raine premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 2026, directed by Robert Hastie.