Celebrated Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith breathes new life into Chekhov’s tragicomedy unveiling a hotbed of disillusionment and all-consuming unrequited love.
Overview
WORLD PREMIERE
On a crumbling country estate, Uncle Vanya and his niece Sonya work tirelessly to preserve their family’s privileges. Visited only by the local doctor Astrov, it’s a lonely, mundane existence. That is until the sudden arrival of Sonya’s father Professor Serebryakov and his alluring new wife Yelena awakens long-repressed emotions with devastating consequences.
Celebrated Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith breathes new life into Chekhov’s tragicomedy unveiling a hotbed of disillusionment and all-consuming unrequited love.
Ticket Prices
For group bookings of 10+, please call Box office on (02 8918 3400) or email boxoffice@ensemble.com.au
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice.
| 2024 SINGLE TICKETS | PREVIEWS | IN SEASON |
|---|---|---|
| FULL PRICE | $83 | $88 |
| SENIOR CARD | $80 | $85 |
| PENSIONER | $76 | $81 |
| GROUP 10 -19 | $76 | $81 |
| GROUP 20+ | $71 | $76 |
| 30 OR UNDER | $40 | $43 |
| FULL-TIME STUDENT | $40 | $43 |
| MEAA/AWG | $40 | $43 |
| SCHOOL GROUPS | $25 | $25 |
Reviews
★★★★★"Joanna Murray-Smith’s adaptation of Uncle Vanya gives us pure Chekhov, just gently refocused through a prism of now, to bring us closer, probably, to the experience of an 1899 Moscow audience." The Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★★ "the language feels fresh, but not anachronistically modern. Most importantly, Chekhov’s humour and pacing remains intact." ArtsHub
★★★★ "As director, Mark Kilmurry deftly finesses the changing relationships and circumstances across two hours (including interval) of a play filled with rich humanity, sadness, laughter, and meaning" Stage Noise
★★★★ "Joanna Murray-Smith’s lucid adaptation gives the play its necessary contemporary tone, and Mark Kilmurry’s direction steers the action assuredly through to its poignant resolution." Sydney Arts Guide
"The performances are all outstanding. Abbey Morgan gives us a preternaturally stoical Sonya. Chantelle Jamieson’s portrayal of Yelena blends passion and irony. Deftly shifting between satire and sincerity, the cast evokes both laughter and real sympathy from the audience." The Conversation
"This is an adaptation that really works." Stage Whispers
"Murray-Smith’s adaption (a tight two hours with interval) feels faithful to Chekhov’s tone and temper, but updates the language and downbeat humour into something the contemporary Australian ear can tune into immediately." Limelight
"Darkly comic, hugely melancholic and thoughtfully adapted" Theatre Thoughts
"I’ve never laughed at Uncle Vanya so much while still feeling Chekhov’s intended sympathy for all the characters." The Sydney Morning Herald
"provocatively relevant... Under Kilmurry’s direction, a terrific cast honour Chekhov’s famed honesty and truthfulness." Theatre Red
"This Uncle Vanya is fresh, funny, and acutely aware of its small tragedies. Recommended without reservation." Stage Noise
"Kilmurry’s sharp casting has each actor amplifying the inner lives of these deeply flawed people." The Sydney Morning Herald
"Ensemble Theatre’s production of Uncle Vanya provides vigorous comedy." Australian Book Review
"It’s raw, emotional and combative, a timeless story of family conflict." Manly Observer
"When we leave the theatre, we may find ourselves reinvigorated, inspired, even uplifted" Absolute Theatre
"a strong cast with a level of warmth that can be felt across the stage." Theatre Travels
"What a lively and sparkling adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya this is." Megaphone Oz
"Under Kilmurry’s direction, a terrific cast honour Chekhov’s famed honesty and truthfulness." Theatre Red
Cast & Creatives
Anton Chekhov
Playwright
Joanna Murray-Smith
Joanna Murray-Smith is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. Her plays have been produced around the world, including on Broadway and the West End, the National Theatre, London and in many languages. Her most recent play, JULIA, is touring Australia in 2024, returning to the Sydney Opera House in September. Ensemble Theatre: adaptation of Chekhov’s UNCLE VANYA, SWITZERLAND, adaptation of Ibsen’s A DOLL’S HOUSE, HONOUR, BOMBSHELLS, NINETY. Melbourne Theatre Company: BERLIN, THREE LITTLE WORDS, PENSYLVANIA AVENUE, TRUE MINDS, THE GIFT, SONGS FOR NOBODIES and many more. Playbox Theatre Company: RAPTURE, NIGHTFALL, REDEMPTION, HONOUR, LOVE CHILD, ATLANTA. Queensland Theatre: L’APPARTEMENT, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, SWITZERLAND. Sydney Theatre Company: JULIA, SWITZERLAND, FURY. West End, London: SONGS FOR NOBODIES, SWITZERLAND, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES, HONOUR, BOMBSHELLS. Novels: SUNNYSIDE, JUDGEMENT ROCK, TRUCE.
Mark Kilmurry
Ensemble Theatre: THE GREAT DIVIDE, MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL, BENEFACTORS, RHINESTONE REX AND MISS MONICA, BOXING DAY BBQ, A DOLL’S HOUSE, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, OUTDATED, KENNY, CRUNCH TIME, THE ODD COUPLE, THE LAST WIFE, MURDER ON THE WIRELESS, THE BIG TIME, THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, TAKING STEPS, NEVILLE’S ISLAND, TWO, ODD MAN OUT, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, BETRAYAL, GOOD PEOPLE, MY ZINC BED, EDUCATING RITA, ABSENT FRIENDS, OTHER DESERT CITIES, THE ANZAC PROJECT, RICHARD III, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, FRANKENSTEIN, MANAGING CARMEN, RED, THE SPEAR CARRIER and HAMLET. THE ODD COUPLE; The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne & Theatre Royal, Sydney for Crossroads Live Australia. Film: Co-writer and co-director of BEING GAVIN. Literature Illustration: CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS.
Emma Canalese
Ensemble Theatre: (Assistant Director) SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL. La Boite, Brisbane Powerhouse, Fringe World Festival, various regional venues: (Director/Co-writer) ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF THE HISTORY OF DANCE. Seymour Centre with One Extra Dance: PAR AMNESIA. Theatre Row NYC: EINSTEIN AND MILEVA. Midtown International Theater Festival: HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD. The Laurie Beechman Theater NYC: LIFE IS FABULOUS. The Naples Players: BLITHE SPIRIT, WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID, SILENT SKY, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. Upcoming-Goodspeed Musicals: (Associate Director) MAGGIE, A NEW MUSICAL. Sandra Bates Award Recipient 2023. Training: WAAPA, The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater.
Vanessa Downing
Ensemble Theatre: THE GLASS MENAGERIE, THE BUSY WORLD IS HUSHED, AFTERPLAY. Sydney Theatre Company: ON THE BEACH, DO NOT GO GENTLE, GRAND HORIZONS, BLACK IS THE NEW WHITE, HOW TO RULE THE WORLD, POWER PLAYS, MORNING SACRIFICE, MACBETH, MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Griffin Theatre: WICKED SISTERS, LIVE ACTS ON STAGE, AWAY. Bell Shakespeare: FAUSTUS (with Queensland Theatre), THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Queensland Theatre: COMPOSING VENUS, SEASON’S GREETINGS. Parramatta Riverside: PARRAMATTA GIRLS, KING LEAR. State Theatre Company South Australia: THREE BIRDS ALIGHTING ON A FIELD, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? PRIVATE LIVES, THE THREEPENNY OPERA, AS YOU LIKE IT, TRAITORS, PERICLES. Film: FELONY, MARY, HEY HEY IT’S ESTHER BLUEBERGER. TV: MR INBETWEEN, RAKE, HOME AND AWAY. Member; SYDNEY PHILHARMONIA SYMPHONY CHORUS.
John Gaden AO
Ensemble Theatre: MR BAILEY’S MINDER, DIPLOMACY, THE RASPUTIN AFFAIR. Sydney Theatre Company: DO NOT GO GENTLE, SAINT JOAN, ORLANDO, MACBETH, ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, FACE TO FACE, WAR OF THE ROSES. Melbourne Theatre Company: STRAIGHT WHITE MEN, OTHER DESERT CITIES. Belvoir: PACKER AND SONS, CLOUDSTREET (National and International Tour). THE WILD DUCK (National and International Tour), SEVENTEEN, HAMLET. State Theatre Company of South Australia: KING LEAR. Queensland Theatre Company: NO MAN’S LAND. Film: THE DEATH AND LIFE OF OTTO BLOOM, THE EYE OF THE STORM, THANK GOD HE MET LIZZIE, CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION, MURIEL’S WEDDING. Television: FISK, THE APPLETON LADIES’ POTATO RACE, SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, BUMP, OPERATION BUFFALO, RAKE, A PLACE TO CALL HOME.
Chantelle Jamieson
Ensemble Theatre: A DOLL’S HOUSE, KILLING KATIE: CONFESSIONS OF A BOOKCLUB. Sydney Theatre Company: THE TEMPEST, HOME I’M DARLING, STILL POINT TURNING: THE CATHERINE McGREGOR STORY. Don’t Look Away/Theatreworks: FRANKENSTEIN. National Theatre of Parramatta: THE GIRL IN THE MACHINE. Clock and Spiel Productions: WIT. Red Line Productions: FIERCE, LOOK BACK IN ANGER, BELLEVILLE. Sport For Jove: ROSE RIOT, FALLEN. Darlinghurst Theatre: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Film: GODZILLA X KONG, JUNE AGAIN, PETER RABBIT 2, RIP TIDE, EDDY AND VIV. Television: LA BREA S3, APPLES NEVER FALL, WELLMANIA, DOCTOR DOCTOR S5, DIARY OF AN UBER DRIVER, FRAYED, RECKONING, HOUSE HUSBANDS, CROWNIES, HOME AND AWAY, PANIC AT ROCK ISLAND, UNDERBELLY FILES: THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY.
David Lynch
Ensemble Theatre: A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, NEVILLE’S ISLAND, THE GOOD DOCTOR. Griffin: AWAY, CORNERSTONES, KING RICHARD, SUMMERTME BLUES, YEAH BUT IS IT FUNNY. Kxt: TREVOR, ROSALINE. Mophead Productions: AIR. Q Theatre: HAMLET. Queensland Theatre/Sydney Festival: THE WIDER EARTH. Riverina Theatre Company: THE TEMPEST, THE THREEPENNY OPERA. Sport for Jove: THE CRUCIBLE. Theatre South: AFTER DINNER, AFTER MAGRITTE. Director: Ensemble Theatre (Assistant Director): HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, MONGRELS. Omusubi Productions: THE FACE OF JIZO (with Shingo Usami). Marian Street: THE CLUB. Riverina Theatre Company: BOUNCERS. Associate/Resident Director (Australia and Asia) 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS, AN IDEAL HUSBAND, SOUTH PACIFIC, HELLO DOLLY!, HOW TO SUCCED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING. Training: University of Southern Queensland.
Abbey Morgan
UNCLE VANYA marks Abbey’s debut with Ensemble Theatre. Australian Theatre For Young People: CUSP. Black Swan State Theatre: OIL. Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts: JULIUS CAESAR, GLORIA, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, THREE SISTERS, THE POLITICS OF FEELING, NIGHT LETTERS, AS YOU LIKE IT. TV: BAD BEHAVIOUR. Training: Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Yalin Ozucelik
Ensemble Theatre: THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, OUTDATED. Australia Chamber Orchestra: REFLECTIONS ON GALLIPOLI. Bakehouse Theatre Company: DRESDEN. Bell Shakespeare: OTHELLO, HENRY 4, KING LEAR, ROMEO AND JULIET. Belvoir Street Theatre: SAMI IN PARADISE, IVANOV. Brink Productions: WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING. Darlinghurst Theatre Company: SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS. Melbourne Theatre Company: PHOTOGRAPH 51, FROST/NIXON. Sport for Jove Theatre Company: CYRANO DE BERGERAC, MEASURE FOR MEASURE. State Theatre Co of SA: 1984, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, VERE/FAITH. Sydney Theatre Company: GROSS UND KLEIN, CYRANO DE BERGERAC. Film: CONCEALED, THE ACTIVIST. TV: THE TWELVE, BARONS, TOTAL CONTROL, DIARY OF AN UBER DRIVER, RAKE, DEADLINE GALLIPOLI. Awards: Sydney Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Independent Production) in 2013. Training: NIDA.
Tim Walter
Ensemble Theatre: A DOLL’S HOUSE, CASANOVSA. Melbourne Theatre Company: BERHARDT/HAMLET, AS YOU LIKE IT. Sydney Theatre Company: A FLEA IN HER EAR, PERPLEX, ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDERSTEIN ARE DEAD. Sydney Theatre Company/State Theatre Company of South Australia: KRYPTONITE. State Theatre Company of South Australia /Frantic Assembly: THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE. Belvoir: HEDDA GABLER, AS YOU LIKE IT, BAGHDAD WEDDING. Bell Shakespeare: ROMEO AND JULIET, KING LEAR, MACBETH, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, WARS OF THE ROSES, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. Queensland Theatre Company/Bell Shakespeare: ANATOMY TITUS FALL OF ROME. Film: JOE CINQUE’S CONSOLATION. Television: MS FISHER’S MODERN MURDER MYSTERIES S2, HOME AND AWAY, REEF BREAK. Training: Graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
Nick Fry
Ensemble Theatre: THE ONE, BENEFACTORS. Opera Australia/Cameron Mackintosh: MISS SAIGON. GWB/Cameron Mackintosh: MISS SAIGON ASIA TOUR. Hayes Theatre Co: ZOMBIE: THE MUSICAL. Little Eggs Collective/Hayes Theatre Co: METROPOLIS, THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. Artists in Motion/Dubai Expo: DIWALI, NYE, WHY? THE MUSICAL, DAILY PRODUCTIONS. Artists in Motion: RED SEA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, THE QUEST FOR THE MOON, HSING YUN. Betty Productions: 48TH UAE NATIONAL DAY. Training: BFA, MFA: NIDA.
Matt Cox
Ensemble Theatre: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, BOXING DAY BBQ, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, A BROADCAST COUP, THE CARETAKER, NEARER THE GODS, DIPLOMACY, MURDER ON THE WIRELESS, ALONE IT STANDS, BENEFACTORS, SUMMER OF HAROLD. Bangarra Dance Theatre: WARU JOURNEY OF THE SMALL TURTLE, DUBBOO, ONE’S COUNTRY, OUR LAND PEOPLE STORIES, BLAK, BELONG. Duet Group: DIVAS. Hayes Theatre Company: SHE LOVES ME. Louise Withers and Associates: THE MOUSETRAP, A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED. Soft Tread: WHARF REVUE 2023 PRIDE IN PREJUDICE, WHARF REVUE 2022 LOOKING FOR ALBANESE, WHARF REVUE 2021 CAN OF WORMS. Sydney Chamber Opera: HIS MUSIC BURNS. Sydney Theatre Company: WHARF REVUE 2020, WHARF REVUE 2019, WHARF REVUE 2018, RUBY MOON. Tinderbox Productions: DAVID SUCHET, POIROT AND MORE.
Steve Francis
Ensemble Theatre: BLACK COCKATOO. Bell Shakespeare: HENRY V, HAMLET. Belvoir Street Theatre: THE WEEKEND, TELL ME I’M HERE, JUNGLE AND THE SEA, MY BRILLIANT CAREER, EVERY BRILLIANT THING, THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE, CURSED, THE SUGAR HOUSE, BABYTEETH, BAGHDAD WEDDING, RUBEN GUTHRIE, PAGE 8, GULP-ILIL, ANGELS IN AMERICA. Griffin Theatre Company: SPEAKING IN TONGUES, THE SMALLEST HOUR. Melbourne Theatre Company: THE SOUND INSIDE, THE WEIR, THE SUBLIME. Queensland Theatre Company: BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE, NEARER THE GODS. Sydney Theatre Company: JULIA, NO PAY NO WAY, APPROPRIATE, SWITZERLAND, THE CHILDREN, BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEANNE, BAT-TLE OF WATERLOO, THE SPLINTER, DISGRACED. Film: THE MOOGAI, FIRESTARTER (THE STORY OF BANGARRA) Awards: THREE HELPMANN AWARDS, TWO SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS.
Nick Curnow
Ensemble Theatre: THE ODD COUPLE, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, LUNA GALE, LIP SERVICE, E-BABY, A HISTORY OF FALLING THINGS, MOTHERS AND SONS, EDUCATING RITA, DARK VOYAGER, PROOF, NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH, A PICASSO, MURDERERS, BETWEEN US. Belvoir Street Theatre: RUBEN GUTHRIE. Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre: LEGALLY BLONDE, CABARET, 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. LES MISERABLE. Griffin Theatre Company: BLAQUE SHOWGIRLS. New Theatre: THE FRONT PAGE. Opera Australia: MY FAIR LADY. Playmakers Repertory Company: SENSE & SENSIBILITY. State Theatre Company South Australia: NOVEMBER. Sydney Theatre Company: OIL, TRIPLE X. Film: PRIMITIVE WAR, THE CORRESPONDENT, THE ENFORCER, INTERCEPTOR, OUTBACK. Training: NIDA, Theatre Nepean.
Chloë Dallimore
Ensemble Theatre: ALONE IT STANDS. Belvoir St Theatre: MASTER & MARGARITA, MISS PEONY, AT WHAT COST, COUNTING & CRACKING. CrossRoads Live: WICKED, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. Griffin Theatre Company: SEX MAGICK, BLAQUE SHOWGIRLS. GWB: JAGGED LITTLE PILL, THE MOUSETRAP, THE GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY. Hayes Theatre Co: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, JEKYLL & HYDE, ZOMBIE. Opera Australia: MISS SAIGON, SUNSET BOULEVARD, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, IL TRITTICO, HAMLET, TOSCA, LA BOHÈME, WATERSHED. Red Line Productions: AMADEUS, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Sport for Jove: ROMEO & JULIET. Sydney Theatre Company: A FOOL IN LOVE, THE SEAGULL, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, ON THE BEACH, THE TEMPEST, A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Recent Television: HEARTBREAK HIGH, BUMP, THE TWELVE, COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS, NCIS SYDNEY, TOTAL CONTROL, MOTHER & SON, PROSPER, TEN POUND POMS, THE MESSENGER, LAST KING OF THE CROSS.
Lauren Tulloh
Lauren is Ensemble’s Resident Stage Manager. Ensemble Theatre: SWITZERLAND, ALONE IT STANDS, THE MEMORY OF WATER, MR BAILEY’S MINDER, CLYDE’S, A BROADCAST COUP, THE CARETAKER, THE ONE, A LETTER FOR MOLLY, KILLING KATIE, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, THE APPLETON LADIES’ POTATO RACE (2021 regional tour), OUTDATED, THE LAST WIFE, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, MARJORIE PRIME, THE PLANT, BETRAYAL. Hayes Theatre Company: REWIRED: MUSICALS REIMAGINED, AMERICAN PSYCHO, HIGH FIDELITY, ASSASSINS, CALAMITY JANE, THE FANTASTICKS, VIOLET. National Theatre of Parramatta: QUEEN FATIMA, THE THINGS I COULD NEVER TELL STEVEN, JESUS WANTS ME FOR A SUNBEAM (Belvoir season). Training: NIDA.
Christopher Starnawski
Stage Manager; Ensemble Theatre: THE GREAT DIVIDE, TODD MCKENNEY: PETER ALLEN AND ME. Belvoir 25a: AN OX STAND ON MY TONGUE. Megan Bennetts: LOSING IT. Sport For Jove: VENUS & ADONIS, ROMEO & JULIET, TWELFTH NIGHT, MACBETH, RICHARD III, HENRY IV. Squabbalogic: HERRINGBONE. Assistant Stage Manager: Ensemble Theatre: MIDNIGHT MURDER AT HAMLINGTON HALL, ULSTER AMERICAN. Bell Shakespeare: THE LOVERS. Belvoir Street Theatre: SCENES FROM THE CLIMATE ERA, TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS. Opera Australia: LA TRAVIATA. Red Line Productions & Sydney Opera House: AMADEUS. Company Manager: Bar’d Work: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Film: 17 MINUTES, DISARMED, LIFE AFTER MAN, KAIROS, LONG STORY SHORT, PSEUDOMONAS, RITUAL, THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR THE BOTH OF US. Music Video: AMALIA, IN HEART’S WAKE, RAYN.
Renata Beslik
Ensemble Theatre: ULSTER AMERICAN, SWITZERLAND, ALONE IT STANDS, THE GREAT DIVIDE, THE MEMORY OF WATER, SUMMER OF HAROLD, MR BAILEY’S MINDER, BENEFACTORS, RHINESTONE REX AND MISS MONICA, CARETAKER, PHOTOGRAPH 51, THE ONE, OUTDATED, CRUNCH TIME, BABY DOLL, FULLY COMMITTED, FOLK, THE BIG TIME, LUNA GALE, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, THE KITCHEN SINK and many more. Bell Shakespeare: HENRY V, THE WINTER’S TALE, MACBETH. Belvoir St Theatre: FANGIRLS. New Theatricals: DARKNESS. National Institute of Dramatic Art: THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, STAY HAPPY KEEP SMILING, THE TEMPEST, WOYCECK, A LIE OF THE MIND, PORT, THE THREESOME. Pinchgut Opera: RINALDO, MÉDÉE, ORONTEA, PLATÉE and many more. Sydney Festival: BETTY BLOKKBUSTER RE-IMAGINED.
Writer's note
I’d adapt a phone book in order to have a show at the Ensemble. A beautiful space in what must be one of the most glorious little theatre settings in the world, an artist-loving company and a robust, curious and intelligent audience — it’s pure pleasure to be in the building. But the commission to adapt Chekhov’s hilarious, wry and wistful Uncle Vanya is a gift from the Gods. Chekhov is the writer I wish I could have been, so to step in his shoes some 130 years later and reimagine the play in the language of our own times and with the foibles of my own writing style is the most enticing of opportunities.
Some people might ask why Chekhov’s language needs to change and this is the eternal dilemma for contemporary Artistic Directors. I would say that it doesn’t. And yet, the desire to make the play as effortless to hear and comprehend as it was for Chekhov’s original audiences has unquestionable value. In adapting the work of a master playwright, I do not seek to mess with his story, his characters, his intentions moment to moment throughout the play but to honour them with language that makes their reception as close as possible to the reception of the original audience.
In other words, historical language sometimes doesn’t work for comedic effect. It sometimes sounds stilted or pompous to modern ears. It is sometimes a roadblock to younger audiences who aren’t used to having to “work” to understand a play. So by deftly translating the intention into language that fits it best in this moment now can make the play sing in the way more effectively as it was intended to. Chekhov’s characters are utterly timeless. The pathos of wanting more than one can ever have, of longing to defeat mortality or find love or resent idiots or need money or fear change…. his characters are a reminder that human beings are eternally driven by the same emotions. We are tightly wound magnets for anxiety and longing and we find comedy in tragedy to stay alive.
As a consummate “technician” of storytelling, Chekhov knows how to say so much more about the human condition than in what is actually spoken. His brilliance is in the nuance of his revelatory writing, in the power beneath what is said. As he famously commanded: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass”. With Uncle Vanya, we leave the play moved by the broken fragments of eternal truths that people stumble over, whether in 1897 or 2024.
Joanna Murray-Smith
Director's Note
I have always enjoyed Chekhov’s work and UNCLE VANYA is my favourite play.
We see the frustrations and desperate dreams over a short summer into autumn, Chekhov’s narrative surprising in its non-dramatic drama, revolutionary at the time. Not only are relationships unrequited, the loaded gun is thwarted and characters appear to end as they have begun with the merry go round of hard work a bleak future. But of course, everything has changed in many subtle ways, smaller moments rather than big revelations. As Chekhov stated, no matter if your days are tragic or happy, you still have to have breakfast in the morning.
Joanna Murray-Smith’s adaptation of UNCLE VANYA captures the colloquial language of the time with a clever contemporary essence and, like a bright light, allows Chekhov’s humour to shine through. I have loved working on this play with this great team of actors and creatives and I hope you will enjoy spending time in a world that continues to fascinate.
Mark Kilmurry
Chekhov's biography
Anton Chekhov
“The miracle of Chekhov’s writing is that no matter where it’s performed, it feels local to the culture.” Mikhail Baryshnikov
Born in Taganrog, Russia in 1860, Anton Chekhov was the son of a former serf turned grocer. He grew up in a strictly disciplined household and at a young age was pulled into working in the store with his father. Despite kindness from his mother, Chekhov considered his childhood to be a painful memory and it played a heavy influence in his future work.
In the late 1870’s Chekhov’s father went bankrupt and moved everyone to Moscow to escape creditors. Anton began writing short sketches for journals to support his family having become their main breadwinner. Chekhov paid his own way to finish his education and then started medical school in Moscow on a scholarship, while continuing to write to subsidize his family and studies. Through these efforts he was able to move his family into ever improving housing situations.
“Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress. When I get fed up with one, I spend the night with the other. Though it is irregular, it is less boring this way, and besides, neither of them loses anything through my infidelity.” Anton Chekhov
After graduation it was his writing that proved to be the more lucrative of the two professions, though even with his success he much preferred the company of the working class than that of the literary circles of Moscow. He considered medicine to be his main profession, treating the poor free of charge and championing initiatives to improve public health care.
Often working himself to the point of exhaustion and living with illness for at least 10 years of his life, Chekhov was finally convinced to seek treatment after suffering a major hemorrhage in his lung and was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He was ordered to change his lifestyle so bought some land on the outskirts of Yalta, moving there with his mother and sister. In 1901 he married Olga Knipper, an actress he had met at rehearsals for THE SEAGULL. She predominantly stayed in Moscow, pursuing her acting career while Anton remained in Yalta, continuing to write, visiting Moscow and traveling abroad as much as possible. Never recovering from tuberculosis Chekhov’s health steadily declined and he died at the age of 44 in 1904, just 3 months after the opening of his final play THE CHERRY ORCHARD.
One of the only great Russian writers to have come from a background of peasantry Chekhov’s work explores an unromanized view of ordinary people, their lives, and their relationships. His unflinching examination of human behaviour saw him become one the seminal figures of modernism in theatre and his is work is continually performed throughout the world, second only to Shakespeare. Despite the challenges in his life, Chekhov himself was a man who embraced life with gusto, joy, and vitality. He spent his youth exploring the world, frequently frolicking and engaging in debaucherous drunken nights. Most of his early works were humour pieces and satirical commentaries on Russian street life, and all his writing is infused with a wry playful humour.
“I can’t think of a Russian great with more skin in the game. But just as few could be as funny or bawdy amidst the sobriety because…well, because that’s how life is.” Boris Fishman
Throughout his life Chekhov wrote hundreds of short stories, one novel, several one act plays and seven full length plays- PLATONOV AKA UNTITLED PLAY (1878), IVANOV (1887), THE WOOD DEMON (1889), THE SEAGULL (1897), UNCLE VANYA (1899), THE THREE SISTERS (1901), THE CHERRY ORCHARD (1904).
It is the intimate understanding of his characters, and the reality of their world with all its highs and the lows, that continues to keep his plays relevant over a hundred years after they were first written.
Production Photos
Photo credit: Prudence Upton
Rehearsal Photos
Photo credit: Prudence Upton
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