News etc
The Telegraph (11Jan01)
Noble is keenly alert to the mixture of humour and piercing sadness in the script. Chekhov's portrayal of the cruel inequality of love, with a daisy-chain of unrequited lovers, is beautifully judged. Penelope Wilton, a great and undervalued actress, gives a merciless account of the ruthless selfishness of the actress Arkadina.
Evening Standard (11Jan01)
I have rarely seen a production of The Seagull where Chekhov's designation of the play as "comedy" seemed more ironic or misplaced. Vicki Mortimer's inefficient, insufficient stage-set scarcely evokes the park-land estate, the lake-side where Konstantin stages his play, or croquet lawn. Noble's production instead concentrates its melancholy gaze upon Konstantin and Nina. Justine Waddell's riveting Nina is a gawky, awkward young thing, in the first flush of happiness.
The Times (11Jan01)
[Richard Johnson] and a talented young actor, John Light, transformed a giggly audience into one that remained utterly rapt. Noble is able to fill any silences in Peter Gill s brisk new translation with emotional eloquence, and his cast are generous with telling detail.
UKTW What's on, tickets, news, archive, reviews, information:
Written in 1896 this is a comic play of aspiration and failure. Nina aspires to be an actress, Kostya a writer. Madame Arkadina and Trigorin are already these things. Can the young people's dreams come true or will they sour when confronted with the adult world?
