 10th -14th March 2009
Anton Chekhov, hailed by many as the creator of the tragi-comedy, holds a special place in the history of world theatre and his plays have been regularly performed for over 100 years, particularly by our major classical companies. Of much more than historical interest; they illuminate moments of humour even within tragic lives as well as tragedy in the comedy of everyday life.
Michael Frayn’s translation maintains Chekhov’s lightness of touch, catching the miraculous mixture of humour and sadness at the heart of Uncle Vanya, while exploring both the comic and tragic potential of rural life. Set in Russia at the end of the 19th Century, the play’s themes - the conservation of the countryside, the contrasts between urban and rural life and even the problems of surviving on a pension in a changing world - still speak loudly to us today.
Set during a sultry summer on a rural estate the play perfectly captures the despair and longing in the lives of its inhabitants, which only surface with the arrival of Serebryakov, the retired professor, and his beautiful young wife. The passions and thwarted hopes of the characters deliver a message of resilience, endurance and the rich potential for life, which is ultimately uplifting.
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