By Anton Chekhov, Adapted by Andrew Upton.
Sydney Theatre Company, Roslyn Packer Theatre
“..what may be the most profoundly physical, and physically profound, interpretation ever of this 1897 play… Working with a cast that dares to spend most of its time onstage somewhere way out on a limb..” (New York Times)
Director Tamas Ascher
Assistant Director Cristabel Sved
Set Designer Zsolt Khell
Costume Designer Gyorgyi Szakacs
Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper
Composer/Sound Designer Paul Charlier
Cast:
Cate Blanchett
John Bell
Hugo Weaving
Richard Roxburgh
Sandy Gore
Hailey McElhinney
Anthony Phelan
Andrew Tighe
Jacki Weaver
* I was the assistant director to Hungarian director Tamas Ascher, overseeing the show in his absence and giving notes to cast and team.
The production toured to Washington and New York City in 2011 and 2012 to extraordinary acclaim and was named the best play of the year by Washington Post.
Reviews:
“Sydney Theatre Company’s new production of Uncle Vanya is a triumph. It respects the poignancy of Chekhov’s gloriously spare writing and simultaneously revels in the sometimes farcical, often brutal humour.” (Daily Telegraph)
Wit and playfulness, guts and unpredictability characterize Tamas Ascher’s treatment of Uncle Vanya. Tour de force seems inadequate as a description. (ABC Arts blog)
I used to think the perfect Chekhov production was one that trod a fine line between laughter and tears but this one races down the line and keeps falling off it on to one side or the other. The result is gloriously fresh, funny and poignant. (John McCallum, Australian)
Adapted from Chekhov’s 1899 classic, Sydney Theatre Company’s Andrew Upton has crafted a sensitive, Australianised take that loses none of its humour, humanity and power. A Hungarian theme runs through the creative team, fronted by leading Chekhov director Tamás Ascher. It adds up to one of the most impressive collaborations in recent memory. (ozbabyboomers.com)