'a cautionary tale to look to the future, however distressing it may seem' ★★★★ — The Cherry Orchard @ Bristol Old Vic

Ewan Thomas-Colquhoun sets off to Bristol Old Vic to scope out their production of The Cherry Orchard.

Bristol Old Vic’s production of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard sets itself ambitious aims. With a new 'un-English' translation of the script, the production team are aiming to create a world closer to that of Chekhov’s; 'more direct, more rude and more Russian'.

This is married also to the director Michael Boyd’s wish to ground the play in themes relevant to today’s increasingly fractured society. Indeed, the fear of change and destructive power of capital latent in Chekhov’s play feel as relevant today as they ever have.

there is never a moment of disconnect between the performance and the viewers

The Cherry Orchard tells the story of an estate in crisis. The upper-class owners Lyubov (Kirsty Bushell) and Leonid (Simon Coates) cannot gather the capital to pay the debts on their estate, and the abolition of serfdom coupled have allowed the peasants, such as the new-money Yermolai Lophakin (Jude Owusu), to threaten the established order of upper class dominance in society.

The set design is prudent in creating this world: the staging in-the-round sets the auditorium within the orchard itself, with the dying light of day indicated by the slowly fading house lights. The sound design helps in this also, with the ambient noise of water emanating seemingly from within the audience; there is never a moment of disconnect between the performance and the viewers, which is to be commended.

The designers also choose to gradually modernise the costume throughout, reflecting how the themes of the play have a universal relevance through many time periods. For me this effect is distracting however, and rather heavy-handed, as it spoon-feeds the audience an idea that could easily have been left for inference. The new translation in its language feels timeless enough, which is something the designers should place their trust in.

The strength of Owusu’s Yermolai is in portraying the bitter sweetness of his position

At its heart however, as with all of Chekhov’s plays, the piece is about character. The societal struggles are played out not on a grand scale but rather on a minute, individual basis. And it is in portraying this nuance of character that the Old Vic’s production is most successful.

Bushell’s performance captures the nuance of her character, balancing subtly the enigmatic veneer of her character and the tragic pain that is ever-present

Whilst the entire cast can be lauded in this regard, both Jude Owusu (Yermolai Alexeyevich) and Kirsty Bushell (Lyubov Andreyevna) deserve particular praise for their performances. The strength of Owusu’s Yermolai is in portraying the bitter sweetness of his position, as in his extraordinary wealth he is able to have everything apart from that which he truly desires.

The tension Owusu portrays between these ideas is truly powerful. Similarly, Bushell’s performance captures the nuance of her character, balancing subtly the enigmatic veneer of her character and the tragic pain that is ever-present beneath it.

Importantly, the production never loses sight of the humour latent in the original, which calls itself 'a comedy in four acts'. Perhaps due to the care taken in translation, the play throughout manages to capture moments of light hearted hilarity and ridicule alongside the more obvious tragic elements.

the parallel worlds of the play and reality are defined by their changeability, social, economic and ecological

Togo Igawa as the ageing and increasingly senile manservant Firs is a great example of this: his abusive mutterings and comic stick-in-the-mud witticisms provide constant comedy throughout, before gaining a very poignant significance at the end of the performance.

This poignancy is at the very heart of this new interpretation. The characters are fully aware that the impending collapse of their world is ever-present, and the heartbreak of this collapse seems always to be bubbling beneath the surface. Crucially, however, this tragic understanding is buried, and the characters choose to sing, dance and drink on the fault lines, rather than trying to fix their world.

I agree with Director Michael Boyd in his belief that there exists a relevance of this atmosphere to today’s world. Indeed, the parallel worlds of the play and reality are defined by their changeability, social, economic and ecological. As a result, this production serves as almost a cautionary tale, reminding us to move on from the past and look to the future, however distressing it may seem.

★★★★

The Cherry Orchard is on at Bristol Old Vic until 7th April. Tickets can be purchased here.

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