Uncle Vanya | London Theatre: Stagedoor

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10 January 2020 · Follow on Stagedoor

“There is no doubt about it, Ian Rickson’s revival of Uncle Vanya in a new adaptation by Conor McPherson is quality stuff. There are times when it makes Chekhov’s play shimmer. Although there are times too when it feels as if it is trying just a mite too hard and is a little too self-conscious about its own sensitivity. But goodness, you can’t complain about a production that brings real dramatic and emotional ballast to the West End. Thank god, that producer Sonia Friedman continues to do this stuff because it can’t come cheap, and if this isn’t an evening to make you see Chekhov afresh it is one full of gorgeous detail. Who knew that watching someone watching someone try his shoelaces could be so fascinating.”

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6 January 2020 · Follow on Stagedoor

“This play has a fantastic cast & creative team so it's no surprise this production of Uncle Vanya has been such a hit with the critics. It's directed by the legendary Ian Rickson and BAFTA & Olivier Award-winner Toby Jones is playing Uncle Vanya. Richard Armitage is returning to the stage for the first time since his Olivier-nominated role in The Crucible to play Astrov and it's also the West End debut of the marvellous Aimee Lou Wood who has shot to fame in Netflix's Sex Education.”

Overview

In the heat of summer, Sonya and her Uncle Vanya (Toby Jones) while away their days on a crumbling estate deep in the countryside, visited occasionally only by the local doctor Astrov (Richard Armitage).

Olivier Award-winner Conor McPherson’s stunning new adaptation of the Anton Chekhov masterpiece, Uncle Vanya, is a portrayal of life at the turn of the 20th Century, full of tumultuous frustration, dark humour and hidden passions.

Critically acclaimed director Ian Rickson returns to Chekhov for the first time since his landmark production of The Seagull in 2007, reuniting with BAFTA and Olivier Award-winner Toby Jones (The Birthday Party) alongside Richard Armitage, who returns to the UK stage six years after his Olivier
Award-nominated performance in The Crucible.