Theatre review: Three Sisters
At University we once had a project to rewrite Mother Courage in the style of Chekhov, and The Cherry Orchard in the style of Brecht, so a production of a Chekhov play that uses a very Brechtian staging doesn't so much feel jarring to me as bring back memories. Sean Holmes and Filter's production of Three Sisters uses a bare stage, modern dress and plenty of sound effects from an onstage sound technician, but the story is unchanged and the atmosphere is undeniably Chekhovian. Three Sisters is the writer's only play to be set in an urban area, but not urban enough for the title characters as this is of course the one most famous for their constant pining after Moscow.
The actors are all good; Romola Garai's one of those actors who I sometimes like and sometimes don't, but as Masha she's pretty good. I liked Poppy Miller's Olga and Clare Dunn's Irina but Andy, who I went with, wasn't convinced by the latter, although he did comment that he thought Ferdy Roberts as their brother, Andrei, was good. I also liked Sandra Voe's Anfisa, who I found quite moving, and Gemma Saunders is great as the timid Natasha who reveals a very different side to her personality once she gets her feet under the table. At the best of times I tend to watch Chekhov with a certain degree of detachment, and so it is here - I quite liked it, but didn't love it.
Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov in a version by Christopher Hampton is booking until the 20th of February at the Lyric Hammersmith.
The actors are all good; Romola Garai's one of those actors who I sometimes like and sometimes don't, but as Masha she's pretty good. I liked Poppy Miller's Olga and Clare Dunn's Irina but Andy, who I went with, wasn't convinced by the latter, although he did comment that he thought Ferdy Roberts as their brother, Andrei, was good. I also liked Sandra Voe's Anfisa, who I found quite moving, and Gemma Saunders is great as the timid Natasha who reveals a very different side to her personality once she gets her feet under the table. At the best of times I tend to watch Chekhov with a certain degree of detachment, and so it is here - I quite liked it, but didn't love it.
Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov in a version by Christopher Hampton is booking until the 20th of February at the Lyric Hammersmith.