The Seagull

It would seem a rather risky exercise to create a contemporary adaptation of a Chekhov play. His texts are weighted by emotive characters and impassioned speeches and seem so unlikely to be relevant in a 21^stcentury context. Surprisingly, this play lends itself to being transplanted into the suburban badlands of Putin’s homophobic Russia much more easily than expected. This is what makes this version of The Seagull quite radical and the concept is, on the whole, carried with confidence, charm and wit.

A very geekish Medvedenko (Elliot Gee) makes the repulsion that Masha (Caitlin Lavery) cannot suppress not just credible, but sensible. The exuberance and naivety of Nina (Honor Wolff) is conveyed with a more universal quality that keeps her character quite timeless. This helps to accentuate how out of place she is in her world. Arkadina (Eleanor Howlett) is wonderfully narcissistic and the handsome but vacuous Trigorin (Patrick Durnan) is very aptly played as her toy boy. Kostya (Rebecca Riggs), as the tormented and lovesick writer, emphasises the difficulties of growing up in the shadow of celebrities. The unexpected focus on three rebellious and petulant teenage girls in this production cleverly points to the ways in which Chekhov’s writing was seen as ahead of its time.

The performance is accompanied by an original score by Jess Keefe (cello) and performed live with William Elm (accordion) and Marty Banning (percussion). The delicate melodies are extremely evocative and help to preserve the eerie and sometimes ethereal nature of the characters. Animations and short clips are also imaginatively employed to add to this effect. This performance is a very unique and interesting interpretation of a text that few would dare to play with to such a large extent.

Patricia Di Risio