SHAW VS CHEKHOV
Theatre at the Tabard
★★★
“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.
SHAW VS CHEKHOV
Theatre at the Tabard
Reviewed on 8th August 2025
by Violet Howson
Photography by Macky Mann
Previously reviewed at this venue:
WODEHOUSE IN WONDERLAND | ★★★★ | July 2025
THE BUSINESS OF MURDER | ★★★ | October 2024
DUET | ★★★ | April 2024
THE SECRET GARDEN | ★★★★ | December 2023
ABOUT BILL | ★★★★★ | August 2023
