Machinal

Fresh from a critically acclaimed run at the Theatre Royal in Bath, the gripping Sophie Treadwell play Machinal comes to the Old Vic this spring.

Based on the true crime story of Ruth Snyder in 1928 that shook a nation, Sophie Treadwell’s seminal play Machinal is a pulse-pounding journey of someone pushed to breaking point by the relentless machinery of life, expectation and convention.

The play debuted on Broadway just nine months after Synder’s execution by electric chair and has been a theatre mainstay ever since. Adapted several times over the decades, it is considered a masterpiece of American expressionist theatre.

For its seven-week run at The Old Vic, the play stars the entire Ustinov Studio cast who garnered rave reviews from the critics in Bath, including the immensely talented Rosie Sheehy in the lead role.

What the critics say:

“An excellent cast give the story of Ruth Snyder, a woman executed by electric chair in 1928 for killing her husband, a cleverly inventive, chillingly modern update.” – The Guardian

“Visceral, stylish production of Sophie Treadwell’s nightmarish modernist tragedy.” – The Stage

"Richard Jones’s new revival is as penetrating as it can be". – The Times

“Sheehy’s performance is astonishing... suggests the promise is over and we have a stage great on our hands.” – WhatsOnStage