Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) qualified as a doctor but became a professional writer in 1919. He was asked by the Moscow Arts Theatre to turn his novel, The White Guard, into a play. At first delighted, he was subsequently horrified by the cuts and alterations demanded by the company and the censor. Nevertheless he went on to write many more plays, becoming arguably the most important Soviet playwright of the period.

" ""Outstanding adaptation...breathtaking in its ambition and originality... the literary range is extraordinary"" - Daily Telegraph ""Edward Kemp's astute adaptation makes all the right adjustments... the work's mighty imaginative compass and its roller-coastershifts of tone."" - The Independent ""An extraordinary mixture of Faustian romance, anti-Stalinist satire and religious enquiry."" - The Guardian"