| 
by Anton Chekhov
( Translated by Michael Frayn )
OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
3 - 7 MAY 2005
|
Nina Lucy Wylde
The Oxford Theatre Guild is back on the
Playhouse stage this May with Anton Chekhov's The Seagull from Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7 May.
By George Tew
Set on a late nineteenth-century Russian country estate, The Seagull tells the
story of a group of characters whose lives are dominated and blighted by love and art. The
central figure is Konstantin, son of the celebrated actress, Arkadina. He is in love with
Nina, who herself dreams of a life on the stage. Trouble brews when Nina meets Arkadina's
lover, the celebrated author Trigorin. The jaded writer and the spirited young girl fall
for each other, with ultimately tragic consequences.
With delicacy and insight, the play develops a sad story of unrequited passion,
melancholy and despair. There is little action, and much debate and soul-searching.
Throughout the play, the characters discuss the exhilaration and agony of dramatic
expression and literary creation. They also ponder the sadness of life: its unrealised
dreams and frustrations. And above all they are concerned with the destructive force of
love, which ruins the lives of those who cannot keep it at bay or uproot it.
While undoubtedly serious, the play is far from pretentious or depressing. There are
plenty of comic touches (Chekhov himself described this apparently tragic work as a
comedy) and the dialogue is witty, elegant and lyrical. The cast do a fine job. Kane
Sharpe engages our sympathy as the troubled Konstantin. Cathy Oakes stands out as his
self-centred but loving mother, constantly seeking attention with theatrical displays, and
Nina Lucy Wylde is an excellent Nina, convincingly portraying the transformation of the
spirited girl of the opening scenes into the confused but resilient woman of the final
act.
This classic of the stage has been done justice by the Oxford Theatre Guild, making for
a slightly sombre but thought provoking and highly enjoyable evening.
|
|
 Arkadina (Kathy
Oakes) comforts her son
Konstantin (Kane Sharpe) after an incident with a gun.
| The Seagull Anton Chekhov
Oxford Playhouse, Tuesday 3rd - Saturday 7th May 2005 |
| Chekhov himself described this play as a comedy in four
acts. Since then, however, there has been some debate over to what extent this play is a
comedy or a tragedy. This production seemed to place more emphasis on the comic elements
of the play and generated more than a few laughs from the audience – often from the
melodramatic actress, Arkandina, played brilliantly by Cathy Oakes, and her brother, the
ageing Sorin (Colin Burnie). The story centres around Konstantin, the frustrated writer
who stages a play in the first act which stars Nina, the beautiful aspiring actress, and
love of Konstantin's life. The play is not greatly received, and Nina, who is at first
enamoured with Konstantin, turns her affections towards Trigorin, his mother's lover.
Konstantin is increasingly devastated. He leaves the house and returns with a seagull that
he has shot and presents it to her. Nina is confused by his actions and presumes that the
seagull is a symbol of something she can't understand; and this is where their
relationship ends.
Later in the play when Konstatin's writing begins to be published and his career
ensues, he still mourns the loss of his Nina. His melancholy seems to be reflected in his
work which is continually noted for its lack of "any living thing" and is
described by Trigorin as being "formless". At this point, we wonder if the
shooting of the seagull is almost like a sealing of his fate; that some part of him died
with the seagull – he cannot live either through Nina or through his lifeless work.
As the play continues it appears that most of the characters in some form can be
related to the seagull. There is an overwhelming feeling of unrequited love and loss.
Masha, frustrated that her love for Konstantin isn't reciprocated, begins the play dressed
in black "mourning for her life". Sorin, now old and partly crippled, mourns the
fact that he hasn't achieved the two things he ever wanted in life; to be a "literary
man", and to marry. Medvedenko mourns his poverty, and finally Nina mourns her
unsuccessful career and her love for Trigorin. When she returns to Konstantin at the end
of the play it is not to rekindle their romance, but only to affirm her love for Trigorin
who has since left her. She refers to herself as the seagull, drawing a parallel between
Konstantin ending the life of the seagull, and Trigorin being the man responsible for
ending her life as it once was.
The play closes with an awful tragedy. The finale was both powerful and emotional, a
successful end to a very successful performance all round. Hugely enjoyable, this was a
great play to celebrate 50 years of the Oxford Theatre Guild.
Chloe Anderson Daily Information 04/05/05 |
Famous actress
Arkadina (Kathy Oakes) praises Nina’s performance
in her son
Konstantin’s play. (Konstantin played by Kane Sharpe)
Theatreworld
The Oxford Theatre Guild celebrates fifty years of dramatic capering this week with a
very solid production of Chekhovds The Seagull. The play centres on the unrequited
love of several characters whose deepest desires are never fulfilled.
The action opens on Sorinds country estate in August. Near the moonlit lake at the edge
of his property, his aimless and troubled, nephew Konstantin stages a play he has written.
Konstantin's mother, Arkadina, a famous aging actress, is in the audience with her toyboy
lover, Trigorin, a famous writer. Konstantin reveals his jealousy of Trigorin, not only
for his success as a writer, but also for Arkadinads infatuation with him and his success.
And so, our Oedipal triangle is set up.
Trigorin, meanwhile, becomes infatuated with the object of Konstantinds affection,
Nina, a budding young actress and star of Konstantinds play. She spurns Konstantin and
follows Trigorin to Moscow where he destroys the innocence that so attracted him to
her.The juxtaposition of the idealism of the young couple, Nina and Konstantin, with the
superficiality of the older couple, Arkadina and Trigorin, is the pivot around which the
play turns.
Cathy Oakes really shines as the bombastic Arkadina, blustering, bustling and panting
around the set in various stages of ennui. She is at times hilarious, and reminded me more
than a little of Jennifer Saunders in Absolutely Fabulous. Colin Burnie as the
ageing and benevolent Sorin and Nick Quartley as the rational doctor were also completely
convincing in their roles. The costumes and set were superbly thoughtful and worthy of any
professional production.
Reviewed by Michelle Jordan for Theatreworld
Nina (played by
Nina Lucy Wylde) urges aspiring writer Konstantin (Kane Sharpe) to have confidence in his
own creative abilities.
THE
CAST
| Arkadina,an actress |
|
Cathy Oakes |
| Konstantin, her son |
|
Kane Sharpe |
| Sorin, her brother |
|
Colin Burnie |
| Nina, the young daughter of a wealthy landowner |
|
Nina Lucy Wylde |
| Shamrayev, a retired lieutenant, Sorin's steward |
|
David Guthrie |
| Polina, his wife |
|
Helen Wilson |
| Masha, their daughter |
|
Jamie Gaw |
| Trigorin, a novelist |
|
Simon Vail |
| Dorn, a doctor |
|
Nick Quartley |
| Medvedenko, a schoolteacher |
|
Oliver Baird |
| Yakov, a workman |
|
Michael Ward |
| Cook |
|
Louis Spiteri |
| Maid |
|
Juliet Humphrey |
The Production Team
| Director |
|
Polly Mountain |
| Stage manager |
|
Gareth Morris |
| Deputy stage managers |
|
Stephen Ashworth, Max Dorey |
| Production management |
|
Janet Bolam, Tim Eyres |
| Properties |
|
Chris Edwards, Diana Kilburn |
| Voice coaching |
|
Anita Wright |
| Lighting design |
|
David Long |
| Stage design |
|
Peter Ledwith, David Long, Roberta Catizone |
| Set construction |
|
Brian Plater, David Long, Steve Whitaker, Steve Wright, Louis Spiteri,Max
Dorey, Michael Ward, Ray Dennehey, Michael Curran, Gareth Morris |
| Set Painting and dressing |
|
Roberta Catizone |
| Lights and sound |
|
David Long, Matt Boult, Jason Cowell, Costa Cambanakis, Greg Cebula |
| Flyman |
|
Brian Plater |
| Driver |
|
Stephen Ashworth |
| Costumes |
|
Catherine McNeill, Helen Wilcox |
| Costume assistance |
|
Sue Tibbles |
| Mak-up |
|
Catherine McNeill, Helen Wilcox |
| Wigs |
|
Sheila Robbins |
| Musicians |
|
Glynne Butt (piano), Peter Willis (baritone) |
| Sound effects and recording |
|
Bill Moulford |
| Poster design |
|
Joe Kenneway |
| Publicity co-ordinator |
|
Felicity Peacock |
| Publicity |
|
Kevin Elliot, Sophie Ruggiero |
| Photography |
|
Mark Brome |
| Programme |
|
Bill Moulford |
Photos
Photos Mark Brome
|
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