Seamlessly blending theatre and music, actress Kseniya Rappoport and pianist Polina Osetinskaya bring Ivan Bunin’s An Unknown Friend to life. Inspired by Bunin’s correspondence to an admirer in Dublin, this little-known short story from the mid-1920s comprises several love letters from a married woman living in a foreign land to her favourite author – whom she’s never met. In this unique performance, Bunin’s text will be accompanied by a delicate musical programme featuring pieces from Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Debussy, Fauré, alongside contemporary Russian composers Anton Batagov and Pavel Karmanov. The performance will be introduced by journalist and writer Andrew Dickson.

In partnership with The Gift of Life Foundation, a charity helping children beat cancer. 

Should you wish to attend the performance and the artists’ reception to support Gift of Life, please purchase your charity tickets through the Gift of Life website.

All proceeds from the charity tickets and donations at the reception will benefit children in Gift of Life’s care.

Kseniya Rappoport started her career in the Maly Drama Theater of Saint Petersburg (MDT) directed by Lev Dodin. She made her cinematic debut in the age of 16 and has since appeared in over 50 film and TV productions in Russia and abroad including The Unknown Woman directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and The Double Hour, directed by Giuseppe Capotondi.

Award-winning pianist Polina Osetinskaya started her career as a child prodigy, giving her first solo concert at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall at the age of eight. In 2008 Osetinskaya published a bestselling autobiography Farewell, Sadness!, in which she shared the traumatic psychological experience of being raised and trained as a piano genius.

Andrew Dickson is a journalist, author and critic who writes for the New York Times and the Guardian, among other outlets. His latest book is Worlds Elsewhere: Journeys Around Shakespeare’s Globe.

The performance is presented by M.ART, a non-profit, non-governmental cultural organisation that showcases contemporary Russian culture in London, New York and Tel Aviv. M.ART presents a curated programme of events across all sectors, including music, dance, film and theatre. The project features outstanding artistic acts that are highly acclaimed in Russia but not yet well-known internationally. M.ART seeks to introduce the diverse and exciting landscape of the current Russian art scene to the international community and Russian-speakers living abroad.

Please note the spoken word element of this performance will be in Russian with English surtitles.