About
Keep calm. Carry on. Blitz it out. Dig for history. Death to the beaches.
At the height of the Blitz, Charlotte is in a passionate affair with a Spitfire pilot, fighting fascism in red lipstick and living each day like her last.
Eighty years later, her granddaughter Becky is stuck in her hometown, cooking dinners for her dad and singing old songs at other people's weddings, dreaming of a better time.
The 1940s are more real to Becky than her life, but when a friend moves back to town, she's forced to face the present. What happens when there’s no war left to fight?
An intimate family saga, The Winston Machine is an unmissable new state-of-the-nation show from internationally-renowned company Kandinsky (Dinomania, Trap Street, Still Ill).
Commissioned and produced by New Diorama Theatre.
Quotes & Reviews
Reviews
★★★★ 'A dance across the decades... Directed with head-rushing freedom by James Yeatman and with deft dramaturgy from Lauren Mooney' The Guardian
★★★★ 'An intriguing, fascinating show... Visually arresting [with] a mesmerising score' WhatsOnStage
★★★★ 'Vivid... Slick, insightful and often very funny' The Stage
★★★★★ 'Exceptional... With an outstanding cast and impressive score, this is a challenging and engaging triumph' Everything Theatre
The Company
About Kandinsky
Led by James Yeatman & Lauren Mooney, Kandinsky is a multi award-winning theatre company with an international reputation for outstanding collaborative theatre. An NDT Associate Company, previous productions at New Diorama include Dinomania, Trap Street, Still Ill and Dog Show.
The company has toured internationally, recently including an acclaimed run at Berlin's renowned Schaubühne Theatre and a commission from Vienna's Schauspielhaus. Shows have won the Sunday Times Playwriting Award, Peter Brook Festival Award and OffWestEnd Best Ensemble.
www.kandinsky-online.com / @kandinskyonline
Creative Team
Director James Yeatman
Dramaturg & Producer Lauren Mooney
Associate Producer (Tour) Jessie Anand
Associate Director Segen Yosef
Production Manager (New Diorama) Crin Claxton
Production Manager (Tour) Sean Laing
Co-designers Joshua Gadsby & Naomi Kuyck-Cohen
Relighter (Tour) Ariane Nixon
Composer Zac Gvirtzman
Sound Designer Kieran Lucas
Stage Manager (Tour) Lizzi Adams
Stage Manager (New Diorama) Grace Hans
Engagement Producer Peter Laycock
Original Devising Company
Hamish McDougall
Nathaniel Christian
Rachel-Leah Hosker
Touring Cast
Elinor Crawley
Daniel Millar
Toyin Omari-Kinch
Content & age guidance:
The show contains haze effect, strong language, and some sophisticated themes. The age recommendation is 14+ with parental guidance.
The show's themes include warfare and PTSD; adverse childhood, relationship and family experiences; experiences of racism; and mental health issues.