Uncle Vanya is a powerful production

9:44am Thursday 3rd April 2008

HAVING never read Chekhov or seen any of his plays performed I went with an open mind to the English Touring Theatre's production of Uncle Vanya at Malvern Theatres.

It was a powerful production with a cast of interesting and subtly portrayed characters. It was less Russian than I had perhaps expected, no fake accents to mar the dialogue, which in this translation, was fresh and believable and surprisingly modern in many ways.

The play is about disappointment, or in the character Sonya's words, about "accepting and enduring" our lot in life. It is a play of character and conversation, rather than action and plot and it is the characters who were fascinating.

Vanya, well played by understudy, Mark Extance, has devoted his life to supporting the brilliant Professor Serebryakov but as the play begins he is already disillusioned, feeling he has wasted his life and lost his chance for love. His love, the beautiful Yelena, enchanted everyone it seemed.

The trophy wife of a rather pompous and disappointing older husband it is she at the end of the play we feel most sorry for, accepting of her fate and not bitter merely sad, turning away from the passionate Dr Astrov and what may have been her chance for happiness.

Dr Astrov, Neil Pearson, the cranky provincial doctor more interested in saving trees and the future of the planet than he is in his dull patients, initially seems the most vibrant character and his green credentials make him seem more of our time. But in the end it is Sonya and her loving Uncle Vanya who capture the audiences hearts.

Set in provincial, pre-revolutionary, rural Russia Chekhov's themes are universal and his characters dilemmas are those faced by everyone. While "accept and endure" is a bleak message Chekhov's play is not bleak and there was a surprising amount of humour in the human tragedies we watched unfold.

The only disappointing aspect of the production was the set, nothing but the samovar seemed authentic or even typically Russian and Vanya's bouquet resembled an Interflora delivery rather than an armful of country flowers.

Directed by Peter Hall, Uncle Vanya is at Malvern Theatres until Saturday. Call 01684 892277 for tickets.