The Lehman Trilogy review: An epic with masterful storytelling at its heart

Plus, although the Going Out team have reviewed some fantastic plays, like Hadestown, Shifters, and Next to Normal, we were yet to review one at this magnitude, until The Lehman Trilogy.

When we say this play would need to rely on the magic of storytelling, that is exactly what The Lehman Trilogy delivers. After performing at the National Theatre in 2018, The Lehman Trilogy has returned to the West End for a third time, now with five Tony awards, a successful Broadway run, and fans from all over the world under its belt.

It is no small feat to tell the story of rags to riches to ruin from the mid 19th century to 2008, yet this is exactly what Academy Award winning director Sam Mendes and Ben Power (who adapted playwright Stefano Massini's book) achieve. The result is a biographical epic following three Jewish immigrants and their pursuit of the American dream.

The Lehman Trilogy tells the story of the three Lehman brothers who arrive in American as immigrants from Germany. The brothers begin their time in America as owners of a general store, and profit off the slave trade as cotton sellers in Alabama. As time passes, the Lehman brothers become some of the most successful raw cotton sellers in America, and, following the American Civil War of 1861 to 1865, become one of the biggest banks in the US. The Lehman brothers and their children also infest in agriculture and industry businesses, the coffee exchange, and trading, before collapsing in the financial crash of 2008.

With a story as monumental as this, how does The Lehman Trilogy drive the plot forward? This is predominantly achieved by three sensational actors, John Heffernan, Aaron Krohn and Howard W. Overshown, who act as the play’s nucleus. RadioTimes.com readers will recognise Heffernan from shows such as A Gentleman in Moscow, Dracula and Dickensian.

Heffernan, Krohn and Overshown embody not only the three brothers, Hayum (Henry), Emanuel and Mayer, but children, wives, rabbis, business partners, office workers, and narrators, to create the world of the Lehman brothers. At no point did I not believe the actors as the role they shape shift into, and these additional characters add humour to an otherwise intense story.

One of our favourite things about The Lehman Trilogy is the cyclical nature of the production. The characters span multiple generations, and the audience witness themes which manifest in each character's turmoils. For example, each Lehman generation has nightmares about being left behind as the fast-paced industries continue to progress, such as the introduction of the railway. In continuum, each Lehman child fret that their fathers are 'out of touch' with modern society, until it is the child's turn to become the father.

It's the Gillian Lynne Theatre which provides the backdrop for this epic. We were lucky enough to experience Richard Hawley's Standing at the Sky's Edge at this theatre, and it was incredible to see how much the staging had transformed.

The Lehman Trilogy's set has a rotating glass box at its centre which shifts and transforms from Alabama to New York City. Es Devlin's set has plenty of visual metaphors, from mirrored floors to towering walls of boxes, and while the glass box is set like an office, the audience has no trouble imagining it as, for example, a general store in 1800s Alabama with thanks to cinematic video projections by Luke Hall. These projections take the audience through 160-odd years of American history, from 18th-century fields to numbers on a trade board.

This play also has the musical accompaniment of Cat Beveridge on piano. We do wonder if a larger musical ensemble would've been better to add more magnitude to this three-hour theatre show.

The Lehman Trilogy is devastating yet funny, epic yet humble, and the only thing which prevented the show scoring five out of five stars was that I felt the energy was lost slightly at the beginning of the third act, although it was quickly regained.

Buy The Lehman Trilogy tickets at London Theatre Direct

For the greatest shows in the West End, take a look at our best London theatre shows guide.

When and where can I see The Lehman Trilogy?

If you'd like to experience the infamous story of the Lehman brothers, you have from now until Sunday 5th January to head to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London's West End.

The Gillian Lynn Theatre is easily accessible from public transport; the West End theatre is close by to Holborn underground station (for Central and Piccadilly lines) and Covent Garden underground station (for the Piccadilly line).

Buy The Lehman Trilogy tickets at London Theatre Direct

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How to get The Lehman Trilogy tickets

Tickets to see The Lehman Trilogy are on sale right now from London Theatre Direct. The show is booking up until Sunday 5th January, and tickets will set you back from £25.

Buy The Lehman Trilogy tickets at London Theatre Direct

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