Uncle Vanya - Hampstead Theatre

She was reliably excellent in ‘The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide....’, also at Hampstead, a few years ago. She was particularly powerful, for me, as Fraulein Schneider in the Donmar’s ‘Cabaret’, sounding like Lotte Lenya reborn with some caustic and unsentimental singing.

I think that the first time I saw Sarah Kestelman on stage was in Gorky's Exiles in 1971 in the Aldwych Theatre days of the RSC. I've just checked who else was in the cast and there are names that rose to the top of their profession. In that decade the RSC did a run of plays that had originated with Russian writers, novel enough to me to get tickets for what was a lovely theatre for that sort of thing.

Re this latest production at Hampstead, I might well go to see Uncle Vanya, as it offers what other theatres won't be offering for the foreseeable future. I've had emails lately from local theatres drawing attention to their new plays I'll describe as in their terms, 'dealing with the issues of our time' that don't float my boat nor even have the effect of me wanting to go looking at boats. So, a classic revived: there's far worse out there that that by the look of things.

I had the misfortune of seeing this last night, well the first half anyway before I quickly escaped at the interval.

The whole show consisted of these hideously dull characters standing up and throwing themselves in different chairs/swings/chaise lounges, sighing, drinking and doing it all over again. I couldn't decide if it was Terry Johnson's dry, insipid script or the actor's one-note, uninspired performances that were the worst, or if it was just a horrible combination of the two. I've never seen Vanya before, but loved the Young Chekhov trilogy at the National, so was quite looking forward to seeing this.

Some poor, poor acting, including several forgotten lines that weren't covered up well. Alan Cox will have no beard left by press night if he keeps tearing at it whenever he speaks a line like he was last night, every sentence he spoke was delivered with constant arm flailing. Abbey Lee was giving quite possibly the worst performance I've ever seen on stage. Kika Markham had her lines written on the book she was using a prop and was still stumbling all over the place.

The cast kept pausing awkwardly, which I can only assume was where the audience laughter was meant to appear… I guess we'll never know.

I was surprised by the pretty positive reviews in view of raiseitup 's very discouraging post - and so soon afterwards. I'll be very interested to hear what others here think as this was on my radar as a possibility but not a "must-see", and fitting it in would be at the expense of something else.

After spending so long in a state of enforced inactivity (& it's not over yet), I'm ennuied out & in need of something active, lively & uplifting. So maybe a comedy or musical would better meet my needs

This old Chekhov hand going in New Year. Will let you know. 😁

Gambon and Pryce were pretty amazing in the WE in the late 80s.

Simon Russell Beale memorable. 

This is OK but it felt terribly old fashioned in all ways. Terry Johnson brought nothing fresh to it either as an author or director. The reviews saying it emphasises the comedy more than usual are simply untrue and are based on an expectation of what Johnson would bring to it rather than reality. His adaptation is faithful to the original and therefore pointless, there are several better existing ones he could have used, for example by Michael Frayn or David Mamet. Acting is competent but no more. 2.5 hours but on Hampstead's terrible uncomfortable seats even that was too long.

"Acting is competent but no more. 2.5 hours but on Hampstead's terrible uncomfortable seats even that was too long."

That neatly sums up what I thought