I’ll Be Seeing You review – Simon Russell Beale’s Liberace is a life force too great to be tamed

The Guardian UK Sunday 27 September 2026, 10:55 UTC By Mark Fisher 1 min read

Key Points

Pitlochry Festival theatreMartin Sherman’s meta new work sees Fra Fee’s writer struggling to turn out a play about the flamboyant pianist while despising everything the showman stands forSimon Russell Beale makes his entrance in mid-air, appearing some way above the stage in a heavenly haze of smoke and light. He flashes a voluminous silver cape and spangly waistcoat, his eyes wide and imploring as if he cannot believe it either.

Pitlochry Festival theatre
Martin Sherman’s meta new work sees Fra Fee’s writer struggling to turn out a play about the flamboyant pianist while despising everything the showman stands for

Simon Russell Beale makes his entrance in mid-air, appearing some way above the stage in a heavenly haze of smoke and light. He flashes a voluminous silver cape and spangly waistcoat, his eyes wide and imploring as if he cannot believe it either. It is flashy and flamboyant and it is a problem for Fra Fee.

In this headily meta new play by Martin Sherman, still provocative and unexpected at the age of 87, Fee plays a writer commissioned by Pitlochry Festival theatre to turn out a play about Liberace. The only thing is, he despises everything the American showbiz pianist stands for.

Simon Russell Beale’s (PERSON) Liberace (PERSON) Pitlochry Festival (LOCATION) Sherman (ORG) Fra Fee’s (PERSON) forSimon (PERSON) Russell Beale (PERSON) Fra Fee (ORG) Martin Sherman (PERSON) American (ORG)

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I’ll Be Seeing You review – Simon Russell Beale’s Liberace is a life force too great to be tamed

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