Kate’s Score: 2.5 Chekhovian Guns
Anton Chekhov (or Chekov) offered in The Cherry Orchard, his last play, a picture of the Russian landowning class in decline, portraying characters who remain comic despite their very poignancy. He insisted that he play was a comedy – even farcical in places. And herein lies the challenge – Russian humour is very, very different to our more British based humour which is often situational. Russian humour relies more on tonal inflection and word play with punchlines. And this may explain why so many translations struggle with Chekhov’s work.
Director Victor Kalka has used a pastiche of translations for this version of The Cherry Orchard currently playing at the Chippen St Theatre. The resulting script is somewhat uneven – contemporary phrases sit in juxtaposition to more formal pieces of dialogue which must have come from older translations. The most successful choices are in the monologues. These flow more easily and in general, are delivered with the most comfort and passion by the cast.
The inconsistencies unfortunately, lie in other choices. The Emancipation of 1861 is remembered but characters listen to pop music and dress in blue jeans. This can work if attacked confidently; indeed, such a choice can offer notions of universality; of issues being bigger than this particular snapshot and one suspect’s this was Kalka’s ambition. But it does not punch hard enough. There are some promising moments expressing environmental concerns but they are tentative. The curtain call choice of music would have 
been a great choice to inform the play from the beginning – it certainly would have set a more portentous tone earlier. Chasing down the environmental line might have paid off better for a contemporary audience.
The staging at the Chippen St Theatre suits the play very well and allows for a minimal set; and the cast, too, embrace the chance to work the space and create the characters. There are some uneven performances which will settle with another night or two although every cast member delivers a nice moment at some point. Suzann James is impressive as the central figure Lyubov and she commands the stage when on it. The soundscape is thoughtful if at odds a little now and again with some dialogue.
There is much to be commended in this small company’s production but here is much which is uneven. Chekhov is a challenge; a sort of glove slapped across the face challenge. Theatre makers could look to the work of writers like Aaron Posner and our own Andrew Bovell for examples of how aggressively a writer or director needs to respond to that thrown glove. Being tentative means you shoot wide of the mark.
Kate Stratford – Theatre Now Sydney
The Cherry Orchard
Anton Chekhov
6 – 15 Jun 2019
Wednesday – Saturday 7:30pm
Sunday 5:00pm
Venue: Chippen Street Theatre
Theatre Company: Virginia Plain
Duration: N/A
A new version of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard premieres in June at the Chippen Street Theatre.
Adapted and directed by Victor Kalka, this version reframes the story through a 2019 sensibility, blowing the cobwebs off the comedy. “People often forget how funny Chekhov can be because all they’ve seen or read are dusty old translations,” said Kalka. “I would rather chew off my own arm than sit through one of those!” “Chekhov was writing for his contemporaries, creating instantly recognisable characters, and that’s what I am doing, creating a version that speaks to all our current anxieties – and we have a lot of anxieties!”
Lyubov Ranevskaya, recently ripped off and dumped by her younger lover after many years living abroad, returns to her family estate, only to find that it is on the verge of
financial ruin. She is offered an easy way out by a neighbour, the self-made entrepreneur Lopakhin: sell the property and live comfortably on the profits. Can she let go of the past to secure a future for her and her family? Time is running out, but the family and their friends are stuck in an arrested development, refusing to face reality. They indulge in petty squabbles, moments of passion, love triangles, and impossible dreams. Meanwhile, their beloved cherry orchard faces destruction. They cannot see that when it goes, the life they know will end.
Cast: Martin Bell, Garreth Cruikshank, Dominique de Marco, Zacharie di Ferdinando, Suzann James, Craig James, Laurel McGowan, Alannah Robertson, Martin Quinn, Caitlin Williams, and Harley Wilson
Written by Anton Chekhov,
in a new version by Victor Kalka
Directed and Designed by Victor Kalka
Assistant Director Margaret Thanos
Costume Designer Jacob Parker
Sound Designer Ryan Devlin
Stage Manager Christopher Starnawski
Ticket Prices
General $36
Concession $25
