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PATRICK MARMION reviews Churchill In Moscow: The night Churchill and Stalin got sloshed on vodka

The latest play from theatrical provocateur Howard Brenton is about Winston Churchill's visit to Joseph Stalin in Moscow in 1942, and stars Roger Allam (pictured) and Peter Forbes.

My favourite scene (and line) comes when middle-aged Annie, fabulous Gina McKee (pictured), is consumed with excitement at the prospect of spending an afternoon with her lover: 'I dare not use the vacuum cleaner for fear of not hearing the phone!' It is a crushing piece which demands a high level of sophistication from its audience, but Turnage's music, jagged, expressionist and lyrical by turns — and making some use of the sort of banal tunes that get sung at parties — carries the action along. Everyone plays his or her part well but I must mention Allan Clayton (Christian), Stephane Degout (Michael), Clare Presland (Pia), Gerald Finley (Helge), Rosie Aldridge (Else), Natalya Romaniw (Helena), Philippa Boyle (Mette), Thomas Oliemans (Helmut) and John Tomlinson (Grandpa).

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