An interesting and polished dramatisation of Chekhov’s short story, but lacked a necessary edge
Making our way into the generously sized pub theatre Upstairs at the Gatehouse in North London, the audience were met with Jazz Age tunes, as the world of this Chekhovian-inspired play, written and directed by Mark Giesser began to be created. I sat admiring the beautifully painted set, which illustrated a pier that would create the backdrop for the meeting place of unlikely lovers Ann Dennis (played by Beth Burrows) and Damien Granville (played by Richard Lynson).
Chekhov wrote his short story, The Lady with the Dog, just before the turn of the 20th century. It follows an unhappily married banker, who holidays solo every summer, leaving his wife at home with the hope of finding a romantic interest. He finds himself pursuing a much younger woman, Ann, during the play. Their meeting was fatefully sealed by Ann’s playful and energetic dog. What was once a chance encounter soon blossoms into a deep loving connection between the pair. The complication of their respective marriages is key in the play’s nuances, and holds much of the drama, especially in Act Two when the couples bump into each other at a show in London. At the end, all is unveiled, and the characters are left with a quiet misery that their love can’t come fully to fruition.
The socio-political backdrop of when Chekhov wrote this story is central to the play’s themes of love vs commitment, boredom and lack of purpose. Re-imagined by Giesser, we find the characters entering a world 20 years after the writing of the original story, in a post-WWI Britain. Giesser’s play version casts reflections on the impact the Great War had on all the characters, and how, despite being over for nearly half a decade, it is still intrinsically linked into their everyday existence.
The play opens with some beautiful world creation from Burrows, as it is immediately established her dog, who is a key role in the piece, is invisible, and will be mimed by the actors on stage throughout. This physical work was extremely detailed and well observed and it was a joy to watch.
Overall, there was a good ensemble feel from the four actors on stage, with the company moving all the set themselves in between/during scenes. I have to admit that I, at times, found this distracting. I believe the intention was to keep the focus on the conversations at hand, with the actors moving the set keeping their gaze on the actors who were speaking. However, it detracted from the action, and despite being performed with a flair and elegance by the cast, it felt as if it was style over substance and was in danger of being in place solely for purpose of spectacle, which I personally don’t think has a place in a Chekhovian-esque play. Perhaps on a larger stage it wouldn’t have been as noticeable.
Chekhov is already a very difficult balance to strike for any actor and director alike. The texts are dense, and centres around the wealthy reflecting on their feelings, thoughts, desires, fears. Giesser’s adaptation was no exception. The Actors, for the most part, managed to keep the text alive and bouncing, but the pacing slowed down greatly towards the end of Act One. It was picked back up again after the interval. Ann’s energy was very engaging, and the actress brought a playful youthfulness to her role, which helped colour the text and was a contrasting energy to the other actors on stage. However, at times she fell into the trap of overplaying the infamous Chekovian subtext, and the performances across the board lacked a somewhat subtlety.
I felt the director’s decision for the actors not to look at their respective spouses a little strange, and felt it further disconnected the actors from one another. Again: style over substance.
Laura Glover commanded the stage as Elaine, and her rich voice was lovely to listen to. Lynson gave a layered performance. His portrayal of Damien Granville, was a man who was deeply dissatisfied with his life, always wanting something more, but knew there was a danger when engaging with Ann. Toby Manley brought good physicality to his role as Ann’s husband, Carl, and a slight undertone of sleaze.
Giesser’s writing was clippy and paced well, and for the most part, stayed true to the Chekhovian style. Overall The Lady With A Dog, was a polished dramatisation of Chekhov’s short story. However, it lacked imagination and a gutsiness that is crucial to ensuring any Chekhov resonates with a modern audience. The actor’s gave solid performances, but at times certain choices felt surface level, and in turn, this made the character’s less interesting to watch.