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2008

The Seagull at the Walter Kerr Theatre

Written by Anton Chekhov

The Royal Court Theatre The Seagull A play by Anton Chekhov, in a new version by Christopher Hampton Director, Ian Rickson Designs, Hildegard Bechtler Sound, Ian Dickinson Lighting, Peter Mumford Music, Stephen Warbeck Cast, Denise Black Mackenzie Crook Chiwetel Ejlofor Paul Jesson Art Malik Carey Mulligan Christopher Patrick Nolan Katherine Parkinson Mary Rose Pearce Quigley Kristin Scott Thomas Peter Wight

Play Details

Context

Artistic Director 
Dominic Cooke

Adapted by 
Christopher Hampton

Original Language 
Russian

Dates Performed

Tue 16th Sep 2008
Walter Kerr Theatre
New York

Play Details

Synopsis

A picturesque country estate by a lake becomes the stage for a complex web of unrequited love, artistic ambition, and generational conflict.

Konstantin, a young, aspiring playwright, struggles to find his artistic voice and win the approval of his mother, the famous actress Arkadina. His innovative play, performed for a small gathering at the family estate, is met with derision by his mother and confusion by others, setting the stage for a series of interconnected personal and artistic crises. As Konstantin pines for Nina, a young actress from a neighbouring estate, he finds himself entangled in a web of unrequited love that ensnares nearly every character in the play.

Chekhov masterfully weaves together themes of artistic integrity, generational conflict, and the pain of unrequited love. Through a series of subtle, often tragicomic interactions, he exposes the deep-seated insecurities and unfulfilled desires of his characters. The play’s innovative style, blending naturalistic dialogue with symbolic elements (such as the titular seagull), marks a significant departure from the melodramatic conventions of its time.

As the characters grapple with their thwarted ambitions and romantic disappointments, Chekhov poses a profound question: In a world where art imitates life and life imitates art, can we ever truly distinguish between genuine emotion and theatrical performance?

Director(s)

Ian Rickson

Cast & Creative

Cast

Kristin Scott Thomas

Cast

Mackenzie Crook

Cast

Art Malik

Cast

Carey Mulligan

Cast

Pearce Quigley

Cast

Peter Wight Christopher Patrick Nolan

Cast

Mary Rose

Designer

Hildegard Bechtler

Lighting

Peter Mumford

Costume

Hildegard Bechtler

Sound

Ian Dickinson

Music

Stephen Warbeck

What our readers say

 

The play spans four acts set at Sorin’s estate, with a jump of two years between some acts. It’s grounded in reality, but it also plays with abstract ideas, like Konstantin’s mini-play and the repeated symbol of the seagull.

 

What is it like reading this play now? 

It’s a play that still feels incredibly relevant as even though it’s set in the late 1800s it explores and takes apart universal ideas and questions around the human experience. It speaks to questions around intergenerational conflicts, love, family, and the reasons of how and why we make theatre feel everlasting.

 

If you like this, you might also like…?

‘Mosquito’ by Lucy Kirkwood, ‘The Effect’ by Lucy Prebble, ‘Three Sisters’ adapted by Inua Ellams, ‘Miss Julie’ by Strindberg


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