The Cherry Orchard - 4 out of 5 stars
Independent Theatre
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Included in the director’s notes is Maurice Valeney’s quote, “The Cherry Orchard is a tragic play composed almost entirely of comic scenes,” and Rob Croser’s production for the Independent Theatre certainly lives up to this description.
Chekov’s plays are well-known for their social commentary, and the opening comments of wealthy businessman Lopakhin about his childhood nickname of “Little Peasant” easily summarise one of the defining themes of the show. An ensemble piece with a variety of complex characters, the play asks what truly defines us - our relationships, our work, our status and position in society, our past experiences or our hopes and dreams for the future.
Samuel Adamson, playwright and adaptor of this version of The Cherry Orchard, demonstrates a beautiful understanding of each character, providing an interesting analysis of the ways in which characters with different desires and motivations end up behaving in similar ways, or making the same mistakes. It is well worth purchasing the program to read his reflections on the play alone.
The play begins in an elaborately decorated manor house in an old Russian estate, depicted thoughtfully via a well-designed set, and the dialogue of Lopakhin and the household maid, Dunyasha. The opening of the play offers an insight into the mundane personal lives of the characters, as Dunyasha reluctantly considers marrying Yepikhodov, played with delightful awkwardness by Christopher Crook.
Shortly after, the estate owner, Lyubov Ranevskaya, and a flock of her relatives arrive at the house. An unfortunate series of personal and financial decisions have left Ranevskaya broke, although many friends and family members continue to try to siphon what little wealth she has left. Lopakhin attempts to steer his old friend Ranevskaya towards financial stability, despite both characters’ increasing levels of frustration and disconnection, thus beginning the play’s central conflict between money and status, and work and responsibility.
Lopakhin is wonderfully depicted by Stuart Pearce with both the arrogance of new money and the remembered trauma of an impoverished childhood. While Lopakhin’s character appears boisterously performative in the unsteady social dynamics of Russian society, Pearce creates a heart wrenching vulnerability in Lopakhin’s quieter moments.
As Lopakhin tries to convince her to sell the estate to pay
off debt, Ranevskaya (Lyn Wilson) clings to memories of her childhood at the
estate, with a particular fondness for the titular cherry orchard. Ranevskaya
is beautifully portrayed by Wilson as grief-stricken and nostalgic, despite
being accustomed to a high social status. Her strength and power as a character
comes from her nostalgia, but she also demonstrates emotional fragility,
particularly as we learn more about her past grief and hardships. This
emotional grounding means that Wilson can lean into the comedy of Ranevskaya’s
dialogue (and her superiority complex!) and remain compelling to the
audience.
Another entertaining character is Ranevskaya’s brother,
Leonic Andreich Gaev. With an excellent deadpan delivery, Chris Bleby creates a
convincing Gaev that holds both social status and a sense of helplessness in
the face of the play’s events. He appears as somewhat idle but never passive,
unaccustomed to hard work but sincere in his relationships with the other
characters (and in his love for a particular bookshelf!)
All three leads embody their characters, and indeed one of
the most emotionally impactful scenes is a moment where Lopakhin, Ranevskaya
and Gaev appear silently together on stage.
The plot thickens as we learn of the love lives of
Ranevskaya’s daughters, Anya and Varya. While Varya (Naomi Vootman) has taken
on the role of housekeeper at the estate, she is also desperately in love with
Lopakhin and is frustrated at the way he avoids proposing marriage despite the
expectations of the other characters. Vootman brings a quiet rage to Varya, who
has clearly worked hard for very little reward throughout her life.
Olivia Bennett plays Anya with warmth and care, providing
comfort and assurance to her vulnerable mother. We watch Anya with pity as
she meets Pyotr Trofimov, the politically outspoken student, a man who views
himself as “above” love. Joseph Callaghan confidently depicts Trofimov as both
intellectual and rebellious and provides much of the historical context to
support the audience’s understanding of Chekhov’s social commentary.
Tarcisio De Zolt’s Yasha is convincingly boorish and careless with his affections, which is emphasised by Dunyasha’s (Hailee Martin) delightfully melodramatic attempts at wooing him. Leon Moulton ably performs his role as the passer-by, interrupting the family’s indifference to the concerns of the lower class. Martin Penhale brings a comedic element to his role as Boris Simeonov-Pishchik, even as the audience cringes at his insincere flattery of Ranevskaya and Lopakhin as he requests more and more money. Sue Wylie is hilarious as the much-needed comic relief Charlotta, complete with puppetry, accents, dancing, magic tricks and a tambourine solo. A standout is David Roach as Firs, who is initially a somewhat disturbing advocate for serfdom, and yet who captures our hearts by the end of the play in his emotional final scene.
The Cherry Orchard is particularly strong in its set
design, created by David Roach and Chris Gilbert. While initially appearing
deceptively simple, the set moves and expands between scenes, creating
immersive indoor and outdoor settings. Costumes (by Grace Ames, Diana Buratto
and Sue Wylie) are also a standout, with clothes appropriate to social class
while also depicting enough variety that characters appear to have a sense of
personal taste throughout the play.
The lighting (Luke Bartholomew and Cody Sorenson) is
minimalist yet powerful, emphasising the mood of each scene and ensuring all
actors are well lit throughout the show. A particularly powerful moment is
towards the end of the play, where sharp lighting is seemingly created by
changes to the set, adding to the emotional storytelling.
The Cherry Orchard is a complex tale about love, grief and power, and the Independent Theatre has created an immersive adaptation that is both funny and moving.
- Georjette Mercer
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