Anton Chekhov Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★

“an engaging night of theatre”

‘Shaw vs Chekhov’, directed by Jonas Cemm, forms the next instalment of theatre company SHAW2020’s ‘Shaw Versus’ series, in which George Bernard Shaw’s work is performed in conjunction with a play written by a contemporary. In this case: Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Proposal’ is paired with Shaw’s ‘Village Wooing’. It’s a charming double-billing, but also a good reminder that not everything a great writer writes is necessarily great.

First up was ‘The Proposal’, a thirty-minute play in which Joe Sargent’s Ivan intends to propose to Maryann O’Brien’s Natalya, but spends the duration of his time bent over in a bizarre mish mash of pains and heart palpitations, all the while bickering consistently with his nuptial victim-to-be. Lavish costumes and impressive set complemented accomplished performances, especially from O’Brien who remained strong throughout. Chekhov’s ‘Proposal’ is probably never going to rival his ‘Three Sisters’, but it still maintained glimmers of his characteristic charm. Anthony Wise as Natalya’s befuddled father Stepan was also adorable.

The latter piece in this double-bill was Shaw’s ‘Village Wooing’, a two-hander less hampered by heart palpitations. Village Wooing follows a pompous writer of well-known travel guides, and his enemy-to-lover assailant, who insists upon conversing with him, to his understandable aggravation. Upon a pleasure ship together, they enter a reluctant but gradually warm conversation, then part for soup, only to be reunited in the village shop in which O’Brien’s character works. By some inexplicable course, said pompous man ends up running the shop and romance follows closely behind.

Whilst the dialogue doesn’t have the electric charge of some of Shaw’s work, it is still accomplished and compelling (if a little overlong). Two-handers can be tough, but the performances boasted strength, and their repartee was successfully sustained, the energy never dropped.

The set design throughout was splendid, with an excellent eye for detail, right down to the stock and sweets in the village store. Within this double-bill, we are expertly transported from 19th Century Russia to a pleasure cruise to a village shop cleanly and impressively.

Whilst the chosen pieces are certainly not the poster child for these writers’ notoriety, direction was assured and compelling. Chekhov’ ‘Proposal’ was somewhat impeded by the necessity to have one actor hopping about almost start to finish with convulsions, which was more an irritating distraction than a narrative vehicle or humorous conceit. Nevertheless, ‘Shaw vs Chekhov’ is a sweet and enjoyable evening that celebrates the art generated by venerable playwrights, and especially the lesser-known examples of their work, which is always a fascinating and laudable endeavour. True, these short plays are certainly not the seminal work that defines the artistic prowess of ‘Shaw or Chekhov’; they can’t all be bangers. This is an engaging night of theatre that employs a fun double-bill format in which to showcase George Bernard Shaw.

The Cherry Orchard

Theatre Royal Windsor

Reviewed – 14th October 2021

★★★★

“The sheer magic of this production is the beguiling mix of melancholy and madness; of manners and mannerisms”

The original intention of Chekhov was for “The Cherry Orchard” to be a comedy; yet when it was first staged in 1904 at the Moscow Art Theatre, the writer/director Constantin Stanislavski turned it into a tragedy. If not distressed, Chekhov was very irritated by the misrepresentation of his work. Enough to put him in a mild state of depression. Ever since, there has been much discussion on the multi-layered nature of the play’s message.

Sean Mathias’ production at Theatre Royal, Windsor knows which side of the fence it lies and undoubtedly remains true to Chekhov’s intentions. With the help of a stellar cast the humour of the piece shines through and is maintained throughout the overly long two and a half hours running time. This is no mean feat, given that the characters themselves are generally not the comic type. Yet the wonderful ensemble cast bring out the flaws and the foolishness; the childishness in a seemingly mature group of people. It’s a kind of coming-of-age story for those who have already long come of age.

Fresh from the demands of his trail-blazing and age-defying Hamlet, Sir Ian McKellen is taking a step back, trying to blend into the background as the elderly servant Firs. There is a danger of his cameo becoming the lead but his generosity and sheer attention to the detail of how his character fits into the narrative lead to what is both a show-stealing performance, yet allowing his fellow actors to plunder as much as they can. Robert Daws is an absolute delight as the cash strapped moocher, overflowing with optimism and drunken charm and bouncing off Martin Shaw’s more successful but less confident Lopakhin. Shaw skilfully managed to mix a self-conscious awareness of Lopakhin’s peasant background with a cocksure sense of his own right to cut the privileged down to size (and ultimately cut down their beloved cherry orchard).

Francesca Annis, as Ranyevskaya the owner of the estate, swoops onto the stage majestically. No stranger to personal tragedy, she still seems clothed in waves of happiness. Yet Annis has the skill to show us the many tears and gashes that are covered up. The childlike way she greets her furniture as affectionately as her family is simultaneously ridiculous and tender. Her mix of tragedy and comedy is most (there’s only one way to put it) Chekhovian. But the minor characters also manage to have a major effect. Missy Malek and Kezrena James as the two sisters; and Alis Wyn Davies as the maid, Dunyasha, are names to look out for. Alison Halstead gives a fireball of a performance as the circus performer, trickster come governess, Charlotte. The only one who doesn’t quite seem to grasp the sense of fun that can be had with these characters is Jenny Seagrove, who plays the brother Gaev with a touch too much seriousness and lack of colour.

This is a piece that focuses on the characters and their interactions more than the story. After all, not an awful lot happens. In Act One, the cherry orchard is in danger of being sold, in Act Two it is on the verge of being sold, in Act Three it is sold, and in Act Four it has been sold. The sheer magic of this production is the beguiling mix of melancholy and madness; of manners and mannerisms and rambling lives that are just about keeping afloat. Much to relate to. There is tragedy everywhere, but we don’t always want to focus on that. This show, led by the inimitable McKellen et al, encompasses Chekhov’s spirit and lets us laugh at the seriousness of it all. Even if only for a couple of hours, but it is worth every minute.

SHAW VS CHEKHOV

Theatre at the Tabard

★★★

“an engaging night of theatre”

SHAW VS CHEKHOV

Theatre at the Tabard

Reviewed on 8th August 2025

by Violet Howson

Photography by Macky Mann

Previously reviewed at this venue:

SHAW VS CHEKHOV

SHAW VS CHEKHOV

SHAW VS CHEKHOV

Theatre Royal Windsor

Reviewed – 14th October 2021

★★★★

“The sheer magic of this production is the beguiling mix of melancholy and madness; of manners and mannerisms”

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Jack Merriman

The Cherry Orchard

Theatre Royal Windsor until 13th November

Other four star reviews this year:

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