First performed in 1904, Chekhov’s last play The Cherry Orchard is a masterpiece of theatrical tragicomedy, examining a society on the brink of collapse, as the past and future collide.
The family’s estate is to be sold, and while various plans are suggested to save the house and the beloved cherry orchard, Lyubov Ranevskaya and her brother Gaev struggle to move on from the past and into action. This production, birthed from an original translation and adaptation, is set between 1904 and 2024, as the past and the present exist in simultaneous conflict.
The Cherry Orchard will be playing at Oxford Playhouse, a co-production with University of Oxford Student Company: An Exciting New. This new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play, directed by Harry Brook and translated by Esmé Buzzard, will play on the Main Stage from Wednesday 24 to Saturday 27 January. Buy tickets here. We sit down with the director, Harry Brook, to discuss this upcoming production.
Are you a fan of The Cherry Orchard? What’s the story between you and the play? Do you have any fond memories/a personal connection to it?
The Cherry Orchard is my favourite play! I first discovered it when I was reading The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams as a teenager, and I read something that compared the two, so I decided to give it a read. I don’t think the two are quite so comparable, but I’m glad someone thought so, or I wouldn’t have found The Cherry Orchard! The play has such a great command over its tone, and it was the first time I’d read a play where the characters seemed like real people. Though my idea of characters and naturalism has shifted a lot since then, these people and their cherry orchard still feel like a real memory to me, which I think is really special.
When did you first get the idea to write an adaptation (original translation) of The Cherry Orchard and what did that process look like?
It was kind of always something I wanted to do. I have looked up to theatre makers like Robert Icke and Simon Stone for a long time, and always thought it was so fascinating how an adaptation could almost perform itself. When the words on the page are motivated by the way I envision their performance it unlocks a lot of possibilities. Working through the play with Esmé was so wonderful. I was working with a few translations and finding bits I liked and didn’t like, and every so often Esmé would say, ‘why do you think it means that?’, and we would stumble upon some hidden puns and double meanings. Esmé largely worked on literally translating every word, and I would come through and mess around with it, often getting told off for being too silly. Other times I would work from other translations and completely rewrite sections in my own sentences and Esmé would come and refine them with the translation. Once we had a full draft we passed it by a wonderful group of script assistants, and made some small changes, and put it on its feet! The process of collaboration between myself, Esmé, assistants, and the actors was so rewarding.
How did you find it writing the show? Were there any last-minute changes/huge edits?
I got more confident with the adaptation as it developed, meaning it slowly got more and more wacky. Chekhov uses a lot of aphorisms and phrases that are completely alien to non-Russian speakers, so getting to replace them with witty and vulgar insults has been a lot of fun. Whilst it started as a little joke to myself more than anything, I think it has really helped to rediscover the comedy that Chekhov insisted the play was. The Cherry Orchard, in another adaptation, could be a depressing slog, but ours is very, very funny. Getting the script into the rehearsal room made a big difference. Some lines immediately felt clunky and wrong, so we revised them on the spot and workshopped new ideas through improvisation, whilst other sections lasted a few rehearsals before being swapped out with something new. No last-minute changes yet, but the cast knows I reserve the right!
Could you give us a brief overview of the show? Are there any key differences from other famous productions that we may have seen?
This production is quite dramatically different to any there have been before, but to say too much would spoil some big surprises! I’ll say this… The Cherry Orchard has been set in a lot of time periods. Originally set in 1904, it’s been adapted for Thatcher-era Wales, even put on a spaceship, but usually just one period. In this production, the fight between the past and the future is staged in real-time. Who is ‘stuck in the past’, and who belongs to the future?
Do you stay true to the original script?
For the most part, yes. What is so special about Chekhov is that he was one of those special few writers who could write about a specific moment and make it universal. His stories and characters don’t feel distant or old. There are a few tweaks to the characters, and what they want from the orchard and its future, but you will have to come and watch the show to find out.
What do you hope the audience take from the show?
Change is scary, but right now, it’s necessary. Chekhov is quite measured with this play, in that two characters propose quite radically different visions of the future, and the ending is left relatively open. I keep reminding people that the Russian Revolution of 1905 happened less than a year after the first performance of The Cherry Orchard. Hopefully this production will stir up some energy for change.
Favourite memory of this production of The Cherry Orchard so far?
The first table read was such a gratifying experience. I watched the cast laugh for two hours until they stopped and read in tense quiet for 20 minutes. The silence after Act 4 finished was so palpable. Hearing the adaptation out loud for the first time was thrilling, and having such an impact on the cast was so exciting to see what it might be like for in front of an audience. The Cherry Orchard is a bit of a rollercoaster, so get ready to be laughing at and profoundly sad for this eccentric bunch.