Ninety by Joanna Murray-Smith is a contemporary psychological drama about love, loss, and those conversations that come too late, yet remain the only possible path to truth. Murray-Smith is among the most recognizable contemporary English-language playwrights, whose works are staged worldwide and are distinguished by precise dialogue, emotional depth, and a subtle insight into human relationships. In November 2025, she visited Bulgaria at the invitation of Youth Theatre Nikolay Binev for a specially organized showcase of her plays in Sofia, and attended the premiere of Ninety.

The play brings together two former spouses who have ninety minutes to revisit their shared past — the missed opportunities, the unspoken words, and the pain that continues to shape their lives. Within this tightly concentrated timeframe, Murray-Smith condenses an entire disintegrating family life. In Ivaylo Hristov’s production, this dramaturgical world comes to life as an intensely actor-driven performance, in which Kristina Yaneva and Vladimir Karamazov construct a tense, intimate dialogue —where every line resonates as a memory, an accusation, a confession, or a final attempt at human closeness.

Nomination for the IKAR Award 2026 of the Union of Actors in Bulgaria for original music (Antoni Donchev)