The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria

The year is 1943 and Bulgaria has just told Hitler where to stick it.

Europe’s major powers are at war and King Boris III must choose a side or be swept away. A raucous and poignant tale in which a bunch of underdogs use every trick in the book to outwit the Nazis and save nearly 50,000 Jewish lives.

Award-winning Out Of The Forest Theatre's irreverent comedy - featuring live music inspired by Bulgarian and Jewish folk tunes - tells the incredible true story that the world forgot.

★★★★★ - The Scotsman “Razor-sharp wit and faultless timing.”

★★★★★ - Times Radio “THE hit of the Edinburgh Fringe - Sure to get a West End transfer!”

★★★★ - The Guardian “For all its fun and games, it is a play with a sting.”

WINNER - Off West End “Best Ensemble” 2023

RUNNER UP - Popcorn Writing Award 2023

WINNER - VAULT Festival origins award 2020

Listen to the music from the show!

Buy the playtext here

click HERE for the free online program

'Whether a jazz fan, a history buff or just someone who loves gripping real-life stories, this is a must see.' Kyril, Prince of Preslav, Boris III's Grandson

‘Urgent, horribly topical and revisionist historical tale.’ - Fringe Review

“If Armando Ianucci made a Kneehigh musical.” - David Shopland, Fake Escape Theatre Producer

Previous Performances

17 October - 09 November UK Tour at Mercury Theatre Colchester, Norwich Theatre Playhouse, Taunton Brewhouse, The North Wall Oxford and The Lowry Salford

01 May - 01 June 2024 at 59e59 Theaters, New York

26 September - 21 October 2023 at The Arcola Theatre

2 - 28 August 2023 at The Pleasance Queen Dome for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

9 - 20 January 2023 ACE Funded Research and Development with support from Riverside Studios

20 January 2023 Industry showing at Arts Theatre

11 - 15 March 2020 at VAULT Festival

(if you are interested in programming / supporting the development please email claire@outoftheforesttheatre.com)

Press & Awards Include

WINNER - VAULT Festival origins award 2020

FINALIST - Popcorn Writing Award 2023

WINNER - Off West End “Best Ensemble” 2023

★★★★ - The Guardian “Snappily written, wittily performed”

★★★★★ - The Scotsman “Razor-sharp wit and faultless timing”

★★★★★ - Times Radio “Sure to get a West End transfer!”

★★★★★ - The Brig “Everything a piece of theatre should be”

★★★★★ - West End Best Friend “Historically poignant and hysterically funny” 

★★★★★ - The Spy in the Stalls “This show has all the makings of a sell-out with transfers to come.”

★★★★★ - Theatre Bubble "A perfectly paced, witty and inventive retelling of history"

★★★★★ - Three Weeks “Shakespearean richness”

★★★★★ - Upper Circle “An important piece of work”

★★★★★ - Mind The Blog “Politics [is] theatre and theatre is politics.”

★★★★★ - Fringe Guru “Verve and bittersweet comic flair.”

★★★★★ - Broadway World “A spoonful of satire, a dash of revisionism, and a whole lot of black humour.”

★★★★★ - British Theatre Dot Com “They turn a complex episode of European history into an enjoyable and irresistible piece of theatre.”

★★★★1/2 - The Quintessential Review “A blinder of a production”

★★★★ - Corr Blimey "Resoundingly fun, engaging and melodic"

★★★★ - Culture Fix "A sheer delight"

★★★★ - North West End "Cracking!"

Production team

Writers - Joseph Cullen & Sasha Wilson

Director & Dramaturg - Hannah Hauer-King

Associate Director - Vicky Moran

Ensemble - Lawrence Boothman, Joseph Cullen, Clare Fraenkel, David Leopold & Sasha Wilson

Producer - Claire Gilbert 

Production Assistant - Lorra Videv

Lighting Designer - Will Alder

Stage Manager - Zoe MacKinnon

Set Designer - Sorcha Corcoran

Costume Designer - Helen Stewart

Videographer - Aydan Wilder

Associate Set - Alice Carroll

Previous Team

Ensemble (VAULT) - Joseph Prowen & Kara Taylor Alberts

Stage Manager (Arcola) - Maddie Whiffin

Set Associate (Arcola) - Hannah Williams