The Stage

The Cherry Orchard

Published Tuesday 10 February 2009 at 13:30 by Julie Watterston

With the subject of reform and upheaval being paramount in Chekhov’s writings, Blackeyed Theatre takes the meaning of revolution into their own hands. As one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed theatre companies on the touring circuit today, the challenge of staging The Cherry Orchard with a contemporary twist, yet remaining loyal to the period in which it is set, makes for a confrontation of extremes that have to be blended together.

Adapted by Bart Lee, who also directs, the production is an inspiration for modern playwrights in preserving the sensitivity and subject matter of such a classical piece.

The cast of four play the roles of at least a dozen characters, cross-dressing continuously, with Paul Taylor as Lyuba Ranyevskaya, the owner of the cherry orchard. Taylor’s drag-style performance creates a parodied caricature whose tragic consequences are brought about by both her own flawed character and the unavoidable events surrounding her. Tom Neill is her caring and fun-loving brother Lenya Gayev, with Gabrielle Meadows as daughter Anya and the more brazen chambermaid Dunyasha and Matthew Rowland-Roberts as the German governess Charlotta as well as the footman Yasha, who flirts with superiority.

At the same time as the plots develops, the pounding beat of the revolution is ever present and compares tragically with the Vaudevillean burlesque of the music hall entertainment that divides the scenes.

Blackeyed Theatre meets Anton Chekhov might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially the purists, but it is certainly a new and considered slant on a play that has always been the subject of literary discussion.