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

SHAW VS CHEKHOV

★★★★

“the performances are unrushed and powerfully moving”

From the very opening we realise that this is a ‘Cherry Orchard’ with a difference. As part of a series of classic plays relevant to today, Phil Willmott’s adaptation is set in 1917 amidst the Bolshevik uprising, the murder of the Tsar and the uncertain future of the middle classes; it is almost fast-forwarding to the consequences Chekhov hinted at when he wrote it in 1903. Ranyevskaya returns to Russia after five years in France and faces the prospect of having to sell her beloved family home to the son of a serf who had worked for them. To heighten the immediacy and urgency felt in modern Russia, features like music and magic have been left out, avoiding any slackening of pace, the compact stage area concentrates the action, and the outcome of the play fits the confusion of both then and now. To add to the unpredictability, the role of the elderly footman Fiers has been cut, due to a fall suffered by the actor, Robert Donald. ‘Cherry Orchard’ is a play which revolves around memories in times of change so Fiers’ absence means missing the richness of the most distant past but with it more focus on the present.

Far from the lofty grandeur of larger stages, Justin Williams and Jonny Rust cleverly create faded opulence with the simple use of stairs and significant props. The lighting by Sam Waddington dresses the changes of mood and atmosphere, and the music and sound (Theo Holloway) are imaginatively designed to both set the scene and underline key moments of drama, though the sinister rumbling of the overhead trains is presumably unplanned. Penn O’Gara’s attention to detail of the costumes adds dimension to the personalities.

The individuality and ensemble of the actors is perfectly crafted. Each one’s complexity interlocking with the others to bring an array of emotions. Suanne Braun and Richard Gibson are excellent as the aristocrat Ranyevskaya and her brother Gaev, instilling huge sympathy despite their superficial, frivolous lives. Lopakhin, played by Christopher Laishley, portrays the strength of the rising middle classes but painful awareness of his roots. Dunyasha (Molly Crookes) and Yasha (Hugo Nicholson) represent the servants, breaking away from the past constraints of their position with a confidence and ease in several entertaining scenes. Even the smaller role of Madame Pishchik (a male landowner in the original) played by Caroline Wildi, is a subtly uncomfortable presence on stage, as a further reminder of the plight of the rich. Daughter Anya and former tutor Trofimov (Lucy Menzies and Feliks Mathur) radiate the youthful optimism as the country trembles with uncertainty.

As Director, Phil Willmott succeeds in producing a disquieting ‘Cherry Orchard’, stepping away from the traditional, more static Chekhov and connecting with today’s social climate in Russia. Apart from a couple of instances where the tension is broken precipitately, the performances are unrushed and powerfully moving, maintaining the farcical tragedy. In keeping with element of the unforeseen, the intentional changes to the script combine with the unexpected loss of Fiers to make this a brave and intelligent production, deserving credit for reawakening a classic to new interpretation.

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

Tag Archives: Julius West

SHAW VS CHEKHOV

★★★

Theatre at the Tabard

SHAW VS CHEKHOV

Theatre at the Tabard

★★★

“an engaging night of theatre”