The Seagull is the first of what are generally considered to be the four major plays by the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov.

The Seagull was written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. It dramatises the romantic and artistic conflicts between four characters: the ingénue Nina, the fading actress Irina Arkadina, her son the symbolist playwright Konstantin Tréplev, and the famous middlebrow story writer Trigorin.

As with the rest of Chekhov's full-length plays, The Seagull relies upon an ensemble cast of diverse, fully developed characters. In contrast to the melodrama of the mainstream theatre of the 19th century, lurid actions (such as Konstantin's suicide attempts) are not shown onstage. Characters tend to speak in ways that skirt around issues rather than addressing them directly; they are full of subtext. Our 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.

Tickets: £10, £8 conc.

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