WED 23 OCT – SAT 2 NOV
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UNCLE VANYA
WED 23 OCT – SAT 2 NOV
By Anton Chekhov
In a new version by David Fletcher
Director: David Fletcher
“An interweaving of comedy and despair; Chekhov holds the mirror up to our own aching sense of what might have been” Michael Billington, The Guardian Sonya and her Uncle Vanya lead a difficult, uneventful life on their country estate, animated only by visits from the dashing local doctor. When Sonya’s famous father and his glamorous new wife unexpectedly turn up, old grudges return and new desires ignite. In the heat of summer, tempers boil over and forbidden lusts threaten to end in tragedy. Anton Chekhov’s play Uncle Vanya was first staged at the Moscow Arts Theatre in 1899. In this new compelling version by David Fletcher, the script illuminates these characters in the clearest light, fully embracing their tenderness, passion, sadness and comedy in this most exquisite of plays. An unmissable opportunity to see a new version of a Russian masterpiece. Is there anyone better than Chekhov to offer us a comedic and tragic focus on our humanity – our hopes, dreams and regrets.
2 hours plus a 20 minute interval
Director's Notes
Directing a play by Anton Chekhov is one of the great rewards of working in the theatre, especially with a cast and creative team as brilliant as this one. The reward is enhanced by having the opportunity to produce new versions of works by one of the great writers of world literature. Uncle Vanya is the third Chekhov piece I have produced for the Loft, following my 2015 version of Three Sisters and my adaptation of his short story The House with the Mezzanine as an audio-play in 2021 when the theatre was closed.
My approach to working on these texts has been the same. I do not speak Russian, but there are some very old and out-of-copyright translations available on the internet and I use these as templates. My versions have not been in the style of some of the radical interpretations of classic plays which have become fashionable. My aim is to produce versions that are true to the spirit of the original text whist also being attractive and credible to the ears of the audiences of today. I hope my versions also provide actors with rich and engaging language that allows them to explore the depths of Chekhov’s extraordinary characters.
I am grateful to Ignaty Dyakov-Richmond, Sue Moore, Gordon Vallins, and Bill Wilkinson for taking the time to read an early draft of this version and giving me their feedback. I am also grateful to the cast for their help in making minor revisions to the text during rehearsals.
Uncle Vanya is one of the greatest plays of world drama. It is a play of sadness and disenchantment, but it has its own eccentric sense of humour and contains moments of sexual tension. It is also extraordinarily prescient on the issue of man-made environmental damage. There is nothing in this version, nor in the production, that engages with Putin’s shocking invasions of Ukraine and, in 2014, of Crimea – where Chekhov spent his later years – but it is not difficult to imagine how this giant of humanity would view Putin’s violence.
DAVID FLETCHER
Director, Uncle Vanya.
REVIEWS
Reviews
Uncle Vanya review: Fine performances everywhere you look, everyone fully rounded and fully committed – Matthew Salisbury: Leamington Observer Read Full Review
Uncle Vanya…a magnificent production, featuring the cream of The Loft’s actors, the company delivers a tragedy worthy of any stage, professional or otherwise. – Nick Le Mesurier: Warwickshire World Read Full Review
Step Into Chekhov’s World with Uncle Vanya. – Ann Evans: Elementarywhatson Read Full Review
The production is immaculate in every way, with a faultless cast and immersive production design. – Georgina Monk: Culture’s Coffee Read Full Review
A feast of first class professional acting and directing. – Roderic Dunnett: Behind The Arras Read Full Review
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