An important moment of history is highlighted in ‘The Revolutionaries’. The theme of the play is the fight for power around the time of Lenin's death and takes place in the aftermath of the 1914 Russian Revolution. Lenin knew he was dying and was concerned about who might be his successor. He favoured Leon Trotsky, but as history tells, Stalin was very much in the way.

The play deals with the scheming manoeuvres and betrayals of the politburo (Zinoviev, Kamenev, Radek etc) coupled with Trotsky's psychological state of mind and his self-justifying reasoning for giving into fear, weakness and letting go of leadership. Enveloping all this like a dark cloak is the unscrupulous ambition and brutality that Stalin instigates to secure his progressive grip on the succession and on the party's machinery.

The story is set in two time periods - during the revolution and then later on, when the character of Old Trotsky (questioned in the play by a 'Chairman' who remains as a witness throughout) narrates from his memoirs and implies that Stalin had a hand in Lenin’s death. These two times combine eerily with each other, giving the play an exciting atmosphere of history and realism. The conclusion is controversial and the play ends with the accusation that Stalin had Lenin murdered by poison.

The play is well researched, the pace is swift and intense; full of action and period details. The dialogue is clear and entertaining. Somewhat male dominated (simply reflecting the masculine nature of the times), Lenin's wife, Krupskaya and the fiery revolutionary, Kollontai are the main feminine characters.