Got a bit behind with scribbling down my thoughts on the plays I've seen recently. Well there has been two, both with stellar casts.
First The Cherry Orchard at the Old Vic whose cast included Ethan Hawke, Rebecca Hall, Simon Russell Beale and Sinead Cusack.
It was my second Chekhov and similar to Ivanov in that it's about the financial demise of Russian gentry. This time the central family tragically engineer their own demise through their own inactivity. Having said that there is a lot more humour in this one but the 'tragedy' I found quite frustrating rather than sad.
Nonetheless the actors gave an engaging performance and the evening flew by. And Mr Hawke? Well I think he whimped out a bit by opting to keep his American accent. You could just about justify it with his character being a bohemian teacher but it did stand out.
Must just add that had one of those lovely surprises when you think your ticket is good - about five or six rows back - only to arrive and find the stage has been extended and it is in fact the second row. Love it when that happens
And that was last week.
This week was A Doll's House at the Donmar. Now I booked these tickets about half a century ago and so managed to get the coveted front row. Coveted, by me anyway, because it means that you can walk across a bit of the stage to get to your seat leading to anecdotes such as 'oh yes I was on the stage at the Donmar with Ewan McGregor'. (It also means you can make a sharp exit for the loo at the interval thus avoiding the rather long queues).
Anyway this cast included Gillian Anderson, Toby Stephens, Tara Fitzgerald and Christopher Eccleston (I'm working my way through the Dr Who's, that's three now)
It was my first Ibsen and is set over three days at Christmas-time and follows the unravelling relationship of a husband and wife. And that doesn't do it justice. It's been described as the first feminist play, although Ibsen always denied being a feminist, but it's subject matter was deemed so shocking in Victorian England that it was barely performed for the first ten years after it was written.
This version by Zinnie Harris has apparently been modernised a bit but not having anything to compare it to, I can't tell whether that is good or bad.
All I can say it that I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The performances were electric and the play thought provoking - I can certainly understand why this one is on the school english syllabus.
The play ends with a very emotional showdown between the dominant husband (Stephens) and mousey-wife (Anderson) and both actors looked visibly wrecked afterwards indeed Anderson looked like she could burst straight back into tears again. Had to pause to absorb it after the stage emptied and you can't get much better than that. And, you certainly can't say that about the last two plays I saw at the Donmar, which was a bit of a relief.
Oh and had to stumble past the queues of X-Files fans waiting for autographs on the way out.
And here are some other reviews from the pro's
The Cherry Orchard
West End Whingers
Guardian
Independent
A Doll's House
West End Whingers
Independent
Guardian