The Mentor Tickets

Benjamin Rubin is a bad tempered old writer who loves his booze far too much. Martin Wegner is a glittering new star in the writing firmament, a man whose generation is already lauding him as a literary superstar. When Martin is given the chance to develop his new play with Rubin as his mentor, he can't resist. But when two huge egos like this meet, sparks are bound to fly.

This is a supremely clever and amusing comedy, a collision course of a play that mercilessly examines art, the artists who create it and the curious legacy of fame. And it's on at the lovely Vaudeville theatre in the West End.

What a treat, and it's all thanks to Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Nica Burns, who are transferring their fresh production of Daniel Kehlmann's play to the Vaudeville. It's on for a strictly limited run between 24th June and 2nd September. The play has been cleverly translated from German by Christopher Hampton and it premièred at the Theatre Royal Bath in April 2017. This is the first of the playwright's pieces to appear outside his home country, Germany. He's best known for his novel 'Measuring the World', a brilliant read that has been translated into 40 languages.

F. Murray Abraham plays Benjamin Rubin, the old writer. Daniel Weyman, Naomi Frederick and Jonathan Cullen also star, directed by the Olivier Award-winner Laurence Boswell, the highly respected artistic director of the Ustinov Studio in Bath. The play features design by Polly Sullivan, lighting by Colin Grenfell and original music by Dave Price.

When The Mentor first opened it enjoyed excellent reviews. The Hollywood legend F. Murray Abraham is probably best known for his Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Salieri in Amadeus the movie, a classic from 1983, but he's also known for roles in the film classics All the President's Men, Scarface, Star Trek: Insurrection and The Grand Budapest Hotel. He played a wonderful role in Homeland the TV series. And he's also a stage legend, wowing audiences in Broadway's smash hit Angels in America as well as A Month in the Country, Triumph of Love and It's Only a Play. Daniel Weyman plays Martin, with impeccable stage credentials including Nicholas Nickleby, King Lear and Kafka's Dick.

As The Guardian says, this is "Pure pleasure – ninety minutes of civilized comedy. A delight”. Don't miss it!