Three Sisters

It’s fresh, it’s funny and it’s modern. Very modern, to the point of having an ipod and an iphone present. This is Chekhov for our times, for the younger generation coming through, learning about the work of the masters. This production has all the modern colloquialisms, the expressions and social interactionism of now.

Company director Kate Revz and Cry Havoc have produced a new translation of Chekhov’s Three Sisters based on the version by Lawrence Senelick and David Mamet. Revz also draws on her knowledge from her recent visit to Russia where she undertook cultural research for this production. In the program Revz writes that the new face of Russia is complete with Hummers blaring ABBA songs, money and fake tans and yet what lies beneath is still a strong sense of communism and religious tension. Revz has injected this knowledge and understanding into the play. She has core tensions and values of old, mixed with modern Russian ideals.

Chekhov’s Three Sisters focuses on a family of three young women and their brother. Their father has passed away the year before. They struggle with their relationships and the youngest daughter longs to return to Moscow.

The play opens on the night of the youngest daughter, Irina’s, 20th birthday played by the delightful Kelly Paterniti. Paterniti is smiley and cheeky and brings to the play a modern 21st century sensibility, the whole way she interprets the lines, her gestures and the stresses and inflections in the dialogue is so ‘now.’ She could walk onto the street and say these lines and ‘fit in’. The oldest sister, Olga, played by Georgia Adamson is the classic protective older sister with frumpy outfits and sensible shoes. Adamson was very fitting for the part, resembling a kind of Julie Andrews-esque characterisation. The middle sister, and the most interesting to watch, was the tense and emotionally torn Masha played by Megan O’Connell. O’Connell is strong yet sensitive and has some very emotional moments and delivers superbly.

The play is a great watch - entertaining, interesting and resonates really well with the issues and tensions of today. Relationship issues, work problems, family tensions and young people wanting to flee to the city are all present issues for the modern family. It’s rather amusing when the youngest sister Irina decides she wants to work. She thinks that is what makes people happy so she goes to work in a fairly ordinary job and comes back exhausted and unstimulated, this seems to resonate with how a lot of workers feel today - overworked and under-appreciated.

Notable actor Celeste Dodwell plays the frustrating sister-in-law Natasha Ivanovna. She has some hilarious moments, especially in the second half of the play,which is four years on. She bosses everyone around and struts about the place in silk and a blonde bob reminiscent of some of those ‘botox’ wives. Duncan Fellows also deserves a mention. He plays Masha’s husband who she has grown tired of. Fellows plays Kulygin and is the sort of quintessential ‘Aussie bloke’ with the ‘she’ll be right mate attitude,’ he helps people out, has a laugh and has a grin like the Cheshire Cat.

The whole cast are fantastic and bounce off each other really well featuring Sydney actors who theatre devotees will be familiar with including Berynn Schwerdt, Anthony Gooley, Mark Pound, John Turnbull and Vdiana Mclean.

If you want ‘trad’ Chekhov give this a miss. If you want Chekhov that meets iphones, run along and see this now - This is Chekhov for a new era!

Emma Bell