The Seagull

Work:: The Seagull (S4870)

Written in 1896 this is a comic play of aspiration and failure. On a summer's day in a makeshift theatre by a lake, a bold new play is to be performed. It is the work of a young, would-be playwright, Konstantin, who is searching for a new, more authentic dramatic form. The play stars his beautiful muse and neighbour, Nina. The assembled family audience includes his actress mother, Arkadina, who has just arrived from Moscow with the famous novelist, Trigorin. What happens during, and in the days immediately after, this play's first performance will change not just the course of the summer, but the lives of everyone involved, for ever after. This masterly meditation on love and art is both comic and tragic, and marks the birth of the modern stage.

Author

Anton Chekhov

Listing:: L234407346

---

Current production:Work

---

Production details

This adaptation relocates the action to the roaring 1920's. The Bright Young Things have changed the mood in town fuelled by the boom of jazz, fashion and the arts, but on an estate in the country there is only a lake, and the people around it burn for something more. We intend to create a fresh, concise story for a modern audience who may not be familiar with the romantic and dramatic devices that Chekhov uses, whilst still retaining the feel and power of the original. We feel that placing the characters in this era adds further depth to Nina's yearning and Konstantin's desire to be different in addition to the needs and wants of all the other characters. The script will be edited to run straight through at no more than 90 minutes with minimal changes to the characters and plot. The casting of a younger Trigorin will be the only main change in the dynamic of the play, furthering his catalytic role amongst the characters.