Richmond Nub News had the chance to catch up with Churchill in Moscow star Elisabeth Snegir, as play continues to make its world premiere at the Orange Tree Theatre (OT).

Churchill in Moscow, written by Howard Brenton and directed by OT's Tom Littler, tells the story of the first time former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met General Secretary of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin in 1942.

In an attempt to end WWII and stop Adolf Hitler, the two leaders engaged in intense three-day negotiations in Moscow, Russia, with their translators and diplomats by their side.

"She's a pleasure to play, she's so interesting," Snegir explained when talking about stepping into the shoes of a Red Army soldier in Stalin's translator, Olga Dovzhenko.

"She's a true believer in the communist system and in the way that the Soviet Union think."

Snegir grew up in Moscow before moving to Durham when she was 14. It was during her time in the northeast of England that her love for acting and theatre developed, leading her to roles in Mozart Her Story, In & Out of Chekhov's Shorts, and many more productions.

Fast forward to today, the actor is getting the chance to use her Russian heritage, acting in a play that has been three years in the making.

Snegir said: "When I first read the play, I was like, when am I ever going to get to play a role where I get to speak Russian, speak English and do English with a Russian accent?

"It's all my skills that I really love doing."

On top of having the opportunity to play a character close to home, Snegir had the chance to work with the "well-oiled machine" of Brenton and Littler.

Snegir commented: "He's (Brenton) an incredibly generous person.

"But in the room, he was brilliant, and any questions we had on anything that we weren't sure about, he was always open to talk about it, always open to adapt or change it."

The actor continued: "Tom just fostered all of that relationship as well.

"He directed us so beautifully to be able to play and find the humour and the light as well in such a dark time during this war."

Elisabeth Snegir (left) and Jo Herbert in Churchill in Moscow (credit: Tristram Kenton).

Acting alongside Snegir in Churchill in Moscow are Roger Allam (Winston Churchill), Alan Cox (Archie Clark Kerr), Julius D'Silva (Vyacheslav Molotov), Peter Forbes (Joseph Stalin), Tamara Greatrex (Svetlana Stalin), and Jo Herbert (Sally Powell).

"They (the cast) are incredible actors," said Snegir. "Everyone in the room I have just learnt so much from, and it couldn't be a nicer place to be in.

"It's an incredible theatre, isn't it? It's small, intimate. Everyone is just right there with you."

She added: "The play works so beautifully in that place because Stalin and Churchill are locked in a room basically for three days where they have to find some kind of solution to this (war).

"And as an audience member in the OT, you are literally in this room with them, very intimately from all sides."

Despite Brenton writing the script for Churchill in Moscow five years ago, Snegir believes the story is more relevant than ever.

She explained: "This was written before Ukraine, this was written before Gaza, and it just becomes more and more of the time, even though we're talking about something that was 80 years ago...

"It's not lost on us the importance of what we're saying during the play."

Tickets for Churchill in Moscow are sold out, but there is a chance to grab a seat through OT's Friday Rush scheme. Click here to find out more.

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