Chekov’s echoes of today

2:07pm Friday 9th May 2008

Jealousy, frustrated passions and family feuds are just some of the ingredients that make Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya such an enticing play to watch. Now the Russian tragicomedy arrives in High Wycombe this week, courtesy of the long-running Fourways Drama Group, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and as part of the Wycombe Arts Festival.

Uncle Vanya is actually a reworked version of Chekov's drama The Wood Demon and was first published in 1899.

"There are still plenty of echoes in this play to things happening in today’s world."

Producer Peggy Chamberlen

The story begins with Professor Serebriakov and his beautiful young wife, Yelena, leaving the bustling city of St Petersburg and settling on the family's remote country estate.

Sonya, the professor's daughter from his first marriage, and her uncle, Vanya, have laboured for years on the estate to support the professor, but with little compensation.

So when the professor and his wife arrive, Sonya and Vanya have little reason to welcome them - and even less after they begin to disrupt the daily routines of country life.

Amid all this, Sonya also finds herself deeply in love with the country doctor, Astroff, but considers herself too plain for him. At the same time, Yelena, bored with her life with the ageing professor, finds herself attracted to the doctor.

Producer Peggy Chamberlen explains: "There's this old country life, which although is not always cheerful, plods along just fine before this influx from the city. Everyone really is put into a flutter by the arrival of the professor and his wife."

She adds: "Some of the situations in this play would certainly not be out of place on today's television chat shows!

"What's interesting is that all the action takes place in 19th Century Russia, but human nature has not really changed.

"There are still plenty of echoes in this play to things happening in today's world."

Peggy adds that the Chekov play, directed by David Wright, is more accessible than audiences might at first believe.

She explains: "Chekov might seem heavy-going, but this is a particularly easy story to deal with.

"It makes a nice change for us and for the audience to see something different."

Fourways Drama Group presents Uncle Vanya from Thursday, May 15 to Saturday, May 17, 8pm, at the Town Hall, High Wycombe.Tickets: 01494 512000 or www.wycombeartsfestival.org

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