The Cherry Orchard – Melbourne Theatre Co
A modern take on wealth and pride from the ever-inventive Simon Stone.
Overview
It is often with trepidation that I go to see a play by Anton Chekhov. His signature tragicomedic tone can be tricky to get right and I get fearful a production will play it too straight and drown the comedy in an excess of melodrama. This is apparently what Stanislavski did to Chekhov's chagrin when directing the very first production of The Cherry Orchard in 1904, but I'm pleased to report that MTC's current production has hit the tone pitch perfectly.
The story of a Russian aristocratic family unable to abandon their profligate ways in the face of financial ruin offers plentiful opportunities for both humour and drama as Lady Andreyevna Ranevsky (Pamela Rabe) returns to her family's country estate after years of living the high life in Paris. Too crippled by nostalgia to take action to save the estate from its impending ruin and too proud to accept help, Andreyevna and her eccentric family, along with their motley remaining staff of servants, live out the last days of their doomed aristocratic lifestyle like students pretending the summer holidays won’t end.
This production isn't a straight rendition of the play but rather an adaptation by director Simon Stone. Stone, founding artistic director of The Hayloft Project and recent director in residence at Sydney's Belvoir, is about as exciting a young gun in theatre as could set sights on an old master like Chekhov. This is appropriate perhaps for a play in which the clash of old and new is such a dominant theme.
In addition to modernising the social context, Stone's script playfully elaborates on the original text, keeping true to the essential content and emotional tone while ramping up the impact for contemporary audiences. Andreyevna's Parisian lifestyle, for instance, is updated from 1900s definitions of outrageous to more contemporary standards — orgies rather than hot air balloon rides. Minor characters may be expanded upon, such as the family's clerk Yepihodov (Gareth Davies), whose tendency to being accident prone is exploited to at times clownish extent. There's also a lot more swearing and innuendo. At times this feels a little overdone and not always necessary but for the most part the adaptation is true to Chekhov's spirit.
Rabe's magnificently frazzled Andreyevna is a powerful centrepoint in a suite of strong performances. The production also really shines in its visual design. The set is towering and stark. Though the characters constantly try to fill the space below the looming white walls with objects and activity, the starkness is overpowering — symbolic of their efforts to find cheer in the face of inevitable loss. The weight of nostalgia is cunningly evoked through retro stylings in props and costume and a soundtrack that may well stir memories of your last Blue Light Disco.
While purists might get nostalgic for more traditional takes on Chekhov, this is one case where the coming of the new may be given a warm welcome. This Cherry Orchard is irresistibly stylish, frequently funny and, when it comes to the punch, powerfully emotionally affecting.
Image by Jeff Busby.
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