The Stage

Radio - Light programme

Published Monday 1 February 2010 at 17:55 by Lisa Martland

Occasionally a specific season of programmes brings with it a timely reminder of how awesome a medium radio can be, and Radios 3, 4 and 7’s marking of the 150th anniversary of Anton Chekhov’s birth has been such an occasion. In addition to several dramatisations of his plays and short stories on offer, there has also been an opportunity to hear from contemporary theatre practitioners who have been greatly influenced by his work.

One of the best examples of this was a special series of Radio 3’s The Essay during which an actor, playwright, theatre director and two writers described why they felt personally indebted in terms of craft and technique to the artistry of Chekhov. In the first instalment, Simon Russell Beale - now rightly regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation - explained how an invitation to join the Royal Shakespeare Company 25 years before had changed the course of his career.

Beale told the listener how being cast as Konstantin in Terry Hands’ production of The Seagull became the single most significant event during his eight very happy years with the company. Not only did Beale fall in love with the writing and the way it took him to “uncharted emotional territory” as an actor, but the whole experience made him realise that he would be able to tackle weightier roles in the future (including of course playing Vanya in Sam Mendes’ 2002 Donmar Warehouse production.

The actor naturally spoke with great passion about this profoundly stimulating part of his life, but it was also revealing to hear his thoughts on the plays from a performance point of view. He commented on how there was little need for “filling in the gaps” when performing Chekhov because of how clearly the writer drew the lives and histories of the characters, often giving the actor all the information he or she needed. This came as a contrast, for example, to playing Shakespeare when one often felt the need to clarify characterisations by constructing back stories away from the given text.

Speaking of the Bard, did you know that, after Shakespeare, Chekhov is the world’s most performed playwright? Yet shortly before the Russian died in 1904, he confided to a friend he believed would be remembered for seven, perhaps seven and a half years.

What was compelling about Sunday Feature - Seven and a Half Years, was the neat way in which Susannah Clapp related Chekhov’s own fear of being forgotten to the recurring themes of time, memory and mortality in his writing. In particular Clapp threw the spotlight on Three Sisters, with a special repertory company gathered at BBC’s Maida Vale studios to discuss and perform some new translations by poet Sasha Dugdale. It would have been great to have heard more of these mini debates but room also had to be made for welcome contributions from Michael Frayn, Declan Donnellan and director of the Moscow Art Theatre School, Anatoly Smelianski.

Chekhov’s preoccupation with the passing of time, an old order being replaced by a new age, often resulted in the use of strong visual images, perhaps a broken clock or a spinning top. In The Cherry Orchard, a specific sound takes on a similar significance, suggested by the enigmatic stage direction, “A distant sound is heard. It appears to come from the sky and is the sound of a breaking string.”

Sustaining interest throughout a 30 minute programme which was basically about a theatrical sound effect was a tall order. However, Between the Ears - The Chekhov Challenge: The Sound of a Breaking String did well in both examining the importance of the stage direction to the play itself and the daunting task of creating the sound in past productions. Musician Leafcutter John had to be admired for taking on the challenge, using birdsong, tin foil, thunder, a guitar string and more to produce the ultimate breaking string sound. It would be fascinating to hear how well it worked if ever used in a full-blown production.

No space to thoroughly review Theodorakis - Greece’s Musical Revolutionary, but it would be worth tuning in to this entertaining look at the 60-year long career of composer Mikis Theodorakis. While he has penned a great deal of classical work, it has been overshadowed by the success of his more popular work, not least the score for the 1974 film Zorba the Greek. His personal and professional life would make a film itself.

The Essay - Chekhov Essays: Simon Russell Beale

R3, Monday, January 25

Sunday Feature - Seven and a Half Years

R3, Sunday, January 24

Between the Ears - The Chekhov Challenge: The Sound of a Breaking String

R3, Saturday, January 30