The production, which Fiennes both directs and stars in, sees the actor recite Eliot’s four-part poem – a weighty 1,000 lines – in an impressive tour de force. Together, the four mediations reflect on the nature of time, worldly experience and the quest for spiritual enlightenment.
Four Quarters was written over a six-year period during the Second World War, when the Blitz forced playhouses to close and Eliot’s work in theatre was severely interrupted. The revival of the works now, in the wake of another national crisis and unprecedented period of closure for arts venues, is especially poignant.
As Eliot’s last great masterpiece was originally published solely for the page, there’s also something pertinent about Fiennes granting them a new life on the stage, another of the great writer’s mediums and passions.
The production comes barely a year after Fiennes was on stage at the Bridge Theatre portraying David Hare in the playwright’s autobiographical one-man show Beat the Devil, chronicling his experiences of surviving Covid-19.
Four Quartets is on the London stage for just 36 performances this autumn and is likely to sell out, so book your tickets now to avoid missing out.
| What | Four Quartets, Harold Pinter Theatre |
| Where | Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4DN | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Piccadilly Circus (underground) |
| When |
18 Nov 21 – 18 Dec 21, Performances at 8PM with additional 3PM matinees |
| Price | £24+ |
| Website | Click here for more information and to book |
