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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.

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Jack Merriman

The Cherry Orchard

Theatre Royal Windsor until 13th November

Other four star reviews this year:

Public Domain | ★★★★ | Online | January 2021

Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Hung Parliament | ★★★★ | Online | February 2021

The Picture of Dorian Gray | ★★★★ | Online | March 2021

Tarantula | ★★★★ | Online | April 2021

Abba Mania | ★★★★ | Shaftesbury Theatre | May 2021

Animal Farm | ★★★★ | Royal & Derngate | May 2021

Stags | ★★★★ | Network Theatre | May 2021

You Are Here | ★★★★ | Southwark Playhouse | May 2021

Amélie The Musical | ★★★★ | Criterion Theatre | June 2021

Express G&S | ★★★★ | Pleasance Theatre | June 2021

Forever Plaid | ★★★★ | Upstairs at the Gatehouse | June 2021

Forgetful Heart | ★★★★ | Online | June 2021

Ginger Johnson & Pals | ★★★★ | Pleasance Theatre | June 2021

Doctor Who Time Fracture | ★★★★ | Unit HQ | June 2021

Romeo and Juliet | ★★★★ | Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre | June 2021

Wild Card | ★★★★ | Sadler’s Wells Theatre | June 2021

Be More Chill | ★★★★ | Shaftesbury Theatre | July 2021

Copenhagen | ★★★★ | Cambridge Arts Theatre | July 2021

Gin Craze | ★★★★ | Royal & Derngate | July 2021

Lava | ★★★★ | Bush Theatre | July 2021

My Night With Reg | ★★★★ | The Turbine Theatre | July 2021

Pippin | ★★★★ | Charing Cross Theatre | July 2021

The Game Of Love And Chance | ★★★★ | Arcola Theatre | July 2021

The Ladybird Heard | ★★★★ | Palace Theatre | July 2021

The Two Character Play | ★★★★ | Hampstead Theatre | July 2021

Big Big Sky | ★★★★ | Hampstead Theatre | August 2021

Constellations | ★★★★ | Vaudeville Theatre | August 2021

Jersey Boys | ★★★★ | Trafalgar Theatre | August 2021

The Rice Krispie Killer | ★★★★ | Lion and Unicorn Theatre | August 2021

Fever Pitch | ★★★★ | Hope Theatre | September 2021

Myra Dubois: Dead Funny | ★★★★ | Garrick Theatre | September 2021

Catching Comets | ★★★★ | Pleasance Theatre | September 2021

Back To The Future | ★★★★ | Adelphi Theatre | October 2021

Rice | ★★★★ | Orange Tree Theatre | October 2021

Click here to see our most recent reviews

Reputation

The Other Palace

Reviewed – 6th November 2019

★★½

“what the play lacks in catchy tunes, the performers near-on make up for in jazz-handed, high-kicking delivery”

The 1930s really marked the beginning of the popular musical, with big names like Irving Berlin and Cole Porter writing for the big screen. Similarly, jazz and blues had just about found its way into every kind of popular music, counting Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald amongst its big names. Sure, the beginning of the decade was blighted by the Great Depression, and the end of the decade saw the beginning of the Second World War. But great music persisted, trying to wrench those tired spirits out of their misery, and give them a moment’s reprieve. So if you’re going to set a musical in the ‘30s, you might have an awful lot to live up to (I’m thinking Anything Goes, Top Hat, Guys and Dolls) but you’ve also got so much to draw from.

At first, Reputation, as directed by Warren Wills, appears to have gone for a small blues set-up, with a pianist and a double-bassist stage left, playing the audience in with smoky blues and jazz riffs. But as soon as the lights dim, these two gentlemen proceed to accompany a bland, derivative, twenty-first century Broadway-style repertoire, with very little to suggest the varied and splendid music of the period. There’s one big number that livens it up a little, ‘Protect your Reputation’, a cynical guide to success sung by the play’s villain, Freddy Larceny (Jeremy Secomb), but that’s it really.

The plot itself might have legs: Michelle (Maddy Banks), a young American girl studying at a finishing school in Paris, has secretly written a novel. She spots an ad in Variety looking for new stories to be turned in to movies and decides to take a chance and send in her book, along with the $20 admission fee. The ad being a scam, she is promptly rejected. But two years later, it transpires her story has been stolen and made in to a major Hollywood blockbuster, so she goes in search of justice.

It could be a nice David and Goliath, victory-for-justice kind of story. But instead we’re dragging our heels, desperate to get to the completely predictable ending, which might be forgivable if we didn’t have to sit through track after track of forgettable numbers.

The bulk of the cast generally remains on stage throughout, which is completely reasonable considering the layout of the room. What’s odd and quite distracting, though, is the choice to have those not involved with a scene face the wall, their noses near enough pressed up against it. It looks like they’ve done something naughty and are on a time-out.

The saving grace is casting director Anne Vosser’s eye for talent. On the whole, the cast’s abilities far exceed the quality of the show. Harmonies are tight, and what the play lacks in catchy tunes, the performers near-on make up for in jazz-handed, high-kicking delivery. Ed Wade, playing the bashful love interest, deserves special mention for his surprisingly syrupy falsetto, though he sports a completely anachronistic slicked-back ponytail, presumably because he didn’t want to chop his hair off for what has turned out to be not much.

It’s less what Reputation is that disappoints, than what it could have been. With a multi-talented cast, a perfectly fine plot, some nifty choreography (Tamsyn Salter) and a decade of musical inspiration to choose from, somehow the result is distinctly mediocre and forgettable. On the plus side, it’s unlikely to make a big enough splash to ruin anyone’s reputation.

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:

The Other Palace

Reviewed – 6th November 2019

★★½

“what the play lacks in catchy tunes, the performers near-on make up for in jazz-handed, high-kicking delivery”

It could be a nice David and Goliath, victory-for-justice kind of story. But instead we’re dragging our heels, desperate to get to the completely predictable ending, which might be forgivable if we didn’t have to sit through track after track of forgettable numbers.

Reviewed by Miriam Sallon

Photography by Donato

Reputation

The Other Palace until 14th November

Previously reviewed at this venue: