Synopsis
Uncle Vanya
$14.99 Anton Chekhov adapted Conor McPherson
Published by Nick Hern Books
Large Mixed Cast
In the heat of summer, Sonya and her Uncle Vanya while away their days on a crumbling estate deep in the countryside, visited occasionally by the only local doctor Astrov
Sonya's father, Professor Serebryakov, suddenly returns with his restless, alluring, new wife, declaring his intention to sell the house
The polite façades quickly crumble and long-repressed feelings start to emerge with devastating consequences
Uncle Vanya is a portrayal of life at the turn of the twentieth century, full of tumultuous frustration, dark humour and hidden passions
It premiered at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End in January 2020
REVIEWS
'A Vanya for our times' ~ Evening Standard
'McPherson's new adaptation feels almost impossibly contemporary in the way it packs in so much lust, wit, rage and regret' ~ The Times
'Succeeds resoundingly in making the turn-of-the-20th-century cares of the original resonate today the contemporary relevance is startling' ~ The Arts Desk
'Nobody quite walks the tightrope between comedy and tragedy with the aplomb of Chekhov in McPherson's version, more than any others I've seen, the women get to deliver the emotional gut-punches that balance the humour' ~ Broadway World
'As accessible as a TV drama, without ever betraying the great, melancholy, insightful soul that has made the play last for as long as it has. It is radical and revelatory without ever being gimmicky or insensitive McPherson pulls off a feat of magical reinvention, and allows us to see the play anew' ~ WhatsOnStage
'[Conor McPherson's adaptation is] perfectly weighted ... does not radically reinvent or revolutionise Chekov's 19th-century story. It returns us to the great, mournful spirit of Chekhov's tale about unrequited love, ageing and disappointment in middle-age, while giving it a sleeker, modern beat. McPherson's script has a stripped, vivid simplicity which quickens the pace of the drama ... Every character is fully realised, including the ancillary roles that bring more than comic relief... a perfect tragicomedy' ~ Guardian