Poland, 1949. Zula is bold and brilliant, a singer who ignites the stage. Wiktor is withdrawn and damaged, a composer longing to write. Irresistibly drawn to each other, they dream of escape. But in Communist-controlled Poland, the desire for freedom can be a dangerous thing.

Based on the film by Academy Award winner Paweł Pawlikowski, Cold War is an epic love story spanning the decades and breadth of Europe at its most divided, and a compelling story of passion, redemption, and the journey to be free.

This stage adaptation by Conor McPherson was first performed at the Almeida Theatre, London, in November 2023, directed by Rupert Goold, and featuring traditional Polish songs alongside music by Elvis Costello.

'One of the best plays of 2023... superlatively resonant... a small but mighty piece... simply exquisite'

'Bewitching... a lush tender play with joy as well as trauma... The script by Conor McPherson stays close to Paweł Pawlikowski's original and finds a truly theatrical, darkly witty character of its own'

'A triumph'

'An exquisitely sad love story, brilliantly translated to the stage'

'Beautiful... a swooning adaptation... like a sad, smokey late-night cabaret performance in a faded old bar: there's a glamour to it but it's intimate, warm and nocturnal... it really is a lovely show'

'Gloriously melancholic... an almost tangible sense of pain and half-concealed emotion... an unusual and original show, one that haunts you long after you leave the theatre, its essential sadness sweetened by tinges of hope and a deep humanity'

'Compelling and bittersweet... a fine adaptation... a gift of no ordinary kind'

'Brilliant. I need to see it again'

Conor McPherson's musical Girl from the North Country, featuring songs by Bob Dylan, has been a hit around the world, including in the West End and on Broadway, where it won multiple Olivier and Tony Awards. His other plays include The Weir, Shining City, The Seafarer and The Night Alive.