Dear Elena Sergeevna (Old Fitz) ★★★★

Written by Lyudmila Razumovskaya. Old Fitz Theatre. 1-11 Apr, 2025.

Dear Elena Sergeevna puts the focus on the actors to bring this 80s Russian moral drama to the small stage. It’s thrilling.

Mathematics teacher Elena Sergeevna (Teodora Matović) is alone in her home on her birthday when four of her students unexpectedly arrive bearing extravagant gifts. They’ve just sat their final maths exam, which will determine whether they get into university, and there is an air of unease about their presence in Sergeevna’s home. Over wine and some hastily assembled food, the truth comes out.

They need Elena Sergeevna’s help to break into the school and replace their failing exam papers with new ones before they are marked in the morning. But Elena is a moral, sturdy Russian woman who believes in order, while these young, avaricious youths are more than willing to bend any rule to get ahead in life.

Dear Elena Sergeevna has the creeping unease of a domestic break-in thriller, combined with a clear, biting message about the dehumanising combination of desperation and greed. Razumovskaya cleverly establishes two immovable forces: the upright Elena and the frighteningly amoral ringleader, Volodya (Faisal Hamza), a bright young man who wants nothing more than to exert his power and win the intellectual and moral victory. While Elena is a woman who has lived through rough times and will not bend, Volodya is like an ever-shifting con artist, constantly looking for the advantage and waiting to strike.

Volodya uses his fellow students as pawns to manipulate Elena. Vityok (Harry Gilchrist), the group’s fool, has few prospects and wants nothing more than to live in the country. Pasha (Toby Carey) wants to study literature, but a failing grade will ruin his chances. Lyalya (Madeline Li) is a modern woman, fully aware of how gross materialism is changing Russia, and determined to do what she must to get ahead.

What makes Dear Elena Sergeevna so effective is that the nihilism and greed of the capitalistic 80s and Perestroika Soviet Union, embodied by the students, is a shocking mirror of today. Volodya’s attempts to dominate others come straight out of the pathetic, “alpha”-obsessed manosphere playbook (he even refers to Pasha as a “cuck”). Lyalya’s scheme to auction off her virginity isn’t that different from launching an OnlyFans.

Razumovskaya’s disgust at the modern world is clear, with Sergeevna critiquing the way the world has lost its moral and ethical centre. There is even a whiff of anti-intellectualism in her tone, as the more academically minded students are the most disturbing, while the relatively simplistic Vityok finds a late moment of (partial) redemption.

Faisal Hamza is dynamic as Volodya. His playful, anarchic energy has a Joker-like quality that is undeniably magnetic. Up against Matović’s brilliantly stern Elena, they form two strong poles that hold the play together.

Director Clare Voda tackles the action with a light touch, which can sometimes detract from the material. There is a naturalistic realism to the performances that, while compelling and grounded, results in muddied cross-talk which becomes confusing for the audience. Scenes often feel unstaged and random (admittedly, as a late-night show at the Old Fitz, they are using the set of Amber, which brings restrictions). At times, the onstage chaos feels like genuine chaos.

While the production elements are definitely lacking, there is something energising about this script and these performances (just like Amber, two of the cast come from All Boys at KXT on Broadway – that show seems to have been a breeding ground for great new talent). It had me so engaged I could forgive all the obvious faults.

Dear Elena Sergeevna might be messy and a heavy watch for a late-night show, but it delivers authentic drama, an intellectually interesting script, and boldly honest performances without needing the bells and whistles. Great writing, combined with great acting – this is what I want from independent theatre.