At Fluellen Theatre |
| Fluellen Theatre Company- Uncle Vanya , GRAND PAVILION, PORTHCAWL , May 26, 2011 |
Since being formed in the late nineties, Fluellen Theatre Company have built a reputation as a company that brings classical theatre alive. With this recent revival of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya they faced an arduous task, with a play which many regular theatre goers find ‘hard work’ or ‘difficult to get.’ Derek Cobley’s direction was sensitive and meticulous. Chekhov’s desire that plays should explore the internal complexities of the characters, as well as tell a story, was met through each confrontation between characters being beautifully choreographed. The stifling intensity of a play set in the garden of a country estate, was conveyed by actors who were expert at acting, without words, as well as with them. Producing the play in the round meant that the audience were sucked into the dramatic tension. One minute we were laughing at Peter Read’s fastidious Serebryakov and the next we were near to tears with the sensitivity of his ignored daughter Sonya, played with a beautiful mix of innocence and furtive edginess by Lauralee Nichol. In the lead role, Peter Richards was excellent as the frustrated Vanya. Annoyed by the return of his brother in law, Serebryakov, and convinced that if he had not been stuck running the estate with Sonya, he could have been equally famous as the retired professor, his resentment builds up into a confrontation where he attempts to shoot the annoying academic. Charlotte Rogers played the part of the professor’s young wife with the sense that she was only just managing to control her repressed sexuality. Her exchanges with Astrov, played with zest and energy by Lee Bane, her husband and the unexpected advances of Vanya demonstrated what a versatile and excellent actress she. This was an excellent production with a strong cast in which actors playing minor roles, such as Telegin (Christopher Hale), Nanny (Claire Novelli) and Maria (Margaret Nicholls) all excelled. |
Reviewed by: Rona Campbell |
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