Machinal, Almeida Theatre

A rare revival of Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 play Machinal is coming to the Almeida Theatre this summer.

Machinal is often described as a masterpiece of American Expressionist theatre and, famously, was the play in which Clark Gable made his Broadway debut.

It tells the story of a young woman, a second-rate stenographer who marries the boss she has no feelings for. She is trapped, alone in the city in a loveless marriage and imprisoned by modern urban life. After she falls for another man, she attempts to liberate herself from her drab existence. She rebels, with murderous consequences.

Inspired by the real-life story of Ruth Snyder, a housewife who was executed for the murder of her husband, Treadwell’s work is a disturbing meditation on the subordination of women in modern American society.

Director Natalie Abrahami has a reputation for staging intelligent and audacious productions, most recently with Wings at the Young Vic, and Queen Anne at the RSC.

Expect a daring take on a lonely individual raging against the machine.