The Seagull By Anton Chekhov at The Palace Theatre, Watford
Blanche McIntyre will direct John Donnelly’s searing new version of Chekhov’s first great play, The Seagull, (in a co-production with Headlong and The Nuffield, Southampton)
Donnelly’s dynamic and modern adaptation shows a world on stage, riven with hopeless love and dreams of success. Raw, beautiful and darkly comic, The Seagull explores emotion, creativity and romantic conflict with the clarity of a doctor and the heart of a poet.
Blanche McIntyre is widely recognised as one of the most exciting young directors at work in British theatre today. Winner of the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Foxfinder and Accolade (Finborough Theatre), the Off West End Theatre Award for Best Director in 2012.
John Donnelly is a past winner of both the PMA Award for Best New Writer and the NSDF Sunday Times Playwriting Award. His plays include Bone (Royal Court Theatre), The Knowledge (Bush Theatre), Encourage the Others (Almeida Projects), Little Russians (Tricycle Theatre/First Blast: Proliferation Season), Poll Tax Riots (Hampstead Theatre) and Songs of Grace and Redemption (Theatre 503).
The restless tension which runs through the lives of Chekhov’s characters is given theatrical life in the world designer Laura Hopkins has created, which reflects the shifting emotional landscape of the character who inhabits the space.
The full cast is David Beames (Dorn), Pearl Chanda (Nina), Alexander Cobb (Konstantin), Abigail Cruttenden (Arkadina), Catherine Cusack (Polina), Rudi Dharmalingam (Medvedenko), Eddie Eyre (Yakov), John Elkington (Shamrayev), Colin Haigh (Sorin), Jenny Rainsford (Masha) and Gyuri Sarossy (Trigorin).
The Seagull at Watford Palace Theatre from 23rd – 27th April
Box Office: 01923 225671 or online: www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk
