Rupert Everett makes his stage directing debut and plays the title role in this new version of Chekhov's tragicomic classic by David Hare.
. Everett plays the eponymous antihero, a boozy cynic grieving over a lifetime of squandered promise and thwarted passion as his 50th birthday looms. He has described the play as a farce, though this listless production plays it closer to low-voltage soap opera. But their shared chemistry proves less fruitful here, as Hare's prosaic interpretation and Everett's inert direction tease out little new from Chekhov's famously ambivalent state-of-the-nation drama about 19th century Russia's indolent, self-pitying bourgeoisie. There is a subtlety and grace to this handsomely dressed production, but also a kind of starchy restraint that feels more timid than tasteful.
Vanya is self-appointed cynic-in-chief in a rambling, crumbling family house deep in the Russian countryside. Other guests, and targets for his scornful tirades, include ageing professor Serebryakov , his alluring young second wife Yelena , and his grown-up daughter from his first marriage, Sonya . Paralyzed by their unsatisfactory lives, these lost souls engage in futile attempts at seduction, pointless political diatribes and blazing arguments over plans to sell the house.
Entertainment Entertainment Latest News, Entertainment Entertainment Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: POPSUGARFashion - 🏆 28. / 68 Read more »