Press

"a sparky feminist cry for liberation" ★★★★ The Guardian (Anna Karenina)

“The kids are taking over the theatre company Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory. Not only is a young guest director, Polina Kalinina, in charge for only the second time in SATTF's history, this much-told fable about the battle between youth and age is given a revamp that will make anyone over the age of 25 worry about being past it....Thrilling work’.” ★★★★ The Guardian (Romeo and Juliet)

“The decision to fully embrace and perform Romeo and Juliet as a teenager’s play is at the heart of why Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’s latest performance is so majestically good.”  ★★★★★ EXEUNT (Romeo and Juliet)

"Kalinina's production is lacerating; it suggests a talent, ambition and intelligence of significant promise"  ★★★★ The Times (Dutchman)

"Polina Kalinina’s production kicks off in rabble-rousing style. It’s spirited, vigorous, and always pungent.” ★★★★ The Times (The Playboy of the Western World)

“Against an atmospheric soundscape of screeching trains and crunching knuckles, they search for love in a world of relentless infidelity. Most poignant of all is the heartbreaking impact these adults and their actions have on Anna’s young son, who looks on in a state of confusion and loss.” ★★★★ The List (Anna Karenina)

"Under the direction of young Russian director Polina Kalinina it works as a visceral thrill ride as heady as that of first love…With its 'star is born' central turn and youthful vitality to burn this Romeo and Juliet is a bullseye for Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory.’ ★★★★  WhatsOnStage (Romeo and Juliet)

 "Kalinina serves up a rattlingly lively evening…What the cast capture so well is the vibrant pulse of paganism that beats just below the religious observances.” ★★★★ Evening Standard (The Playboy of the Western World)

“a great idea that buzzes with potential” Lyn Gardner (The Noble Nine)

"a thrilling new perspective on the narrative, delivered with breathtaking pace and ferocity" ★★★★ The Scotsman (Anna Karenina)

“One of the many fascinating things about Kalinina and Levai's work here…is how such an abstract presentation makes so vivid and specific these characters and the worlds they inhabit…If the staging were less stylised and more realistic, the script could potentially be accused of gratuitous sensationalism but ingeniously, Kalinina, Levai and the invaluable intimacy director Asha Jennings-Grant keep us a few steps removed…Smoke assuredly won't be for everyone: it's strong meat that will give you a lot to chew over afterwards, but the staging is a thing of terse wonder, and Higginson and Martin are delivering two of the most exciting performances on any current London stage.” ★★★★ WhatsOnStage (Smoke)

“Polina Kalinina brilliantly captures the charm of an Enid Blyton novel…The most remarkable part is how far we have come since Blyton. I like how Kalinina's direction has kept her contemporary audience in mind throughout the process, allowing us to react to how politically incorrect we were back then.” ★★★★★ Voice Mag (The Noble Nine)

"Gifted is not a light-hearted, romantic or relaxing theatre choice, but it is a thought-provoking and frightening experience that sheds light on issues that desperately need it." A Younger Theatre (Gifted)

"Striking production….something memorable" ★★★★ THE PUBLIC REVIEWS (Romeo and Juliet)

"This is a Romeo and Juliet filled not with sighings and swoonings but with grunts and roars: passionate, full of vivid emotion, shot through with the (blood)lust of youth" Bristol 24/7 (Romeo and Juliet) 

"Kalinina’s direction is intelligent and slick, ensuring perfect pace and mood throughout.”  ★★★★ WhatsOnStage (Overruled)

“That the plays do not seem dated in any way, but surprisingly relevant and new, is credit to the insightful approach of the director and the exemplary playing of the cast.”  ★★★★★ OneStopArts (Overruled)

"The production sings with originality and leaves us in patient expectation to see what comes next from all concerned."  ★★★★ Stage Talk Magazine (Romeo and Juliet) 

“The co-directors, Polina Kalinina and and Júlia Levai, are extremely adept in constructing this delicious set-up and get super performances from their leads” ★★★★★ theartsdesk.com (Smoke)