''Fortune's Fool'' ( ''Nakhlebnik'') is an 1848 play by

Ivan Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev ( ; rus, links=no, Иван Сергеевич ТургеневIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; – ) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, poe ...

Plot

The setting is a vast

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n country estate where the resident

aristocrats Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...

and their many servants are jolted out of their tranquility by the arrival of someone from the city, down-on-his-luck Vassily Semyonitch Kuzovkin, whose own property has been tied up for years in a hopeless lawsuit. At one time a "court jester" to the estate's original owner, Kuzovkin remained in the house as a permanent guest following his master's death. He is anxious about the impending homecoming of the heiress to the estate and her new husband, fearful that, having forgotten the warm relationship they once shared, she will expect him to move out. Wealthy neighbor Flegont Alexandrovitch Tropatchov, who disdains Kuzovkin and the

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

he represents, goads him into drinking too much at a lunch that culminates in his drunkenly revealing an unsettling secret that disrupts the lives of everyone involved and forces them to deal with the consequences of his rash action. A century and a half after it was written in 1848, ''Fortune's Fool'' was staged on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

for the first time in an adaptation by Mike Poulton. After 28 previews, the production opened on April 2, 2002 at the

Music Box Theatre The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1921, the Music Box ...

, where it ran for 127 performances. The cast, under the direction of

Arthur Penn Arthur Hiller Penn (September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010) was an American filmmaker, theatre director, and producer. He was a three-time Academy Award nominee for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director, and a Tony Awards, Tony Awa ...

, included

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the Cinema of the United Kingdom#The 1960s, 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from ''Whistle Down the Wind (film), Whistle Down ...

(who had starred in a production staged at the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

with Ashley Artus, Desmond Barrit, Rachel Pickup, and John Bardon) and the Theatre Royal in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

in 1996),

Frank Langella Frank A. Langella Jr. (; born January 1, 1938) is an American actor. He eschewed the career of a traditional film star by making the stage the focal point of his career, appearing frequently on Broadway. He has received four Tony Awards (out of ...

, Benedick Bates (Alan's son), and Enid Graham. From 6 December 2013 Mike Poulton's adaptation of ''Fortune's Fool'' starring

Iain Glen Iain Alan Sutherland Glen (born 24 June 1961) is a Scottish actor. He has appeared as Dr. Alexander Isaacs/Tyrant in three films of the Resident Evil (film series), ''Resident Evil'' film series (2004–2016) and as Ser Jorah Mormont, Jorah Morm ...

(later replaced by Patrick Cremin and

Will Houston William Houston (born July 19, 1968), sometimes credited as Will Houston, is an English actor. Early life and career Born in Sussex, England, he grew up in Northern Ireland. Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, Houston has play ...

) and

Richard McCabe Richard McCabe (born William McCabe; 18 August 1960) is a Scottish actor who has specialised in classical theatre. He is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Career McCabe is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare ...

and directed by

Lucy Bailey Lucy Bailey is a prolific British theatre director, known for productions such as ''Baby Doll'' at Britain's Royal National Theatre, National Theatre and a notorious ''Titus Andronicus'', The Guardian review said, 'There is no getting away from o ...

received its West End premiere at

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

. The cast includes Lucy Briggs-Owen,

Dyfan Dwyfor is a Welsh actor, originally from . Early life Dwyfor attended and before going on to . He graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2007. Career Dwyfor began acting in the drama series on S4C. His first appearance in f ...

, Janet Fullerlove, Paul Ham,

Richard Henders Richard Henders is a British actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Prince Rilian in the 1990 BBC adaptation of '' The Silver Chair''. He has also appeared in dramas such as '' Can You Hear Me Thinking?'', '' Pie in the Sky'', '' Foyle's ...

, Simon Markey and

Alexander Vlahos Alexander Vlahos (born 30 July 1988) is a Welsh actor, writer, and director best known for playing Philippe, Duke of Orléans, in the Canal+ television series ''Versailles''. In 2012, Vlahos took the role of the adult Mordred, in the final ...

Awards and nominations

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Play (nominee) *Tony Award for Best Actor in Play (Alan Bates, winner) *Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (Frank Langella, winner) *

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

for Outstanding Actor in a Play (Bates, winner) *Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Langella, winner)

References

External links

Internet Broadway Database listing
Plays by Ivan Turgenev Broadway plays 1848 plays {{Ivan Turgenev