My появления (début) at the Royal Academy of Arts, 24th March as part of the Revolution: Russian Art 1917–1932 exhibition.

I gave a recital of one of my favourite Soviet short stories, Banya, written in 1924 by Russian Soviet writer Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko.

My dear Russian friend, Anya, was in attendance, and I performed to a room full of Academician’s Room members.

The laughter you can hear in the video is hers, and to have not just my performance but my Russian validated by a native speaker was a прекрасный момент, which we celebrated with several helpings of шампанское и икра (champagne and caviar)!

Inspired by the 1960 Soviet opera Пиковая дама, my look was a nod to the gallant uniforms of the cavalry officer of Imperial Russia but with elements of the Soviet гвардия. 

Revolution: Russian Art 1917–1932 is on at the RA until the 17th April.