Last Friday night, Stuart and I went to go and see a modern reworking of Chekov’s The Seagull at the Barbican Theatre in London’s glitzy Barbican Centre.
Apart from it being a great play, the big draw here really is to see Cate Blanchett live on stage. And she doesn’t disappoint.
She’s a very strong presence and has a blast as the egotistical actress, the rather spiky, Arkadina.
In fact, the whole cast are great. Jason Watkins as Arkadina‘s brother Peter is particularly good. As is Tom Burke as the mean and moody writer Trigorin. Kodi Smit-McPhee, as the playwright son of Arkadina, Konstantin and Emma Corrin, as aspiring young actress Nina, are a delight too.
The set is simple and straightforward and all the more effective for that.
The direction is faithful to the spirit of the piece - a gripping tale of vanity, power and sacrifices made in the name of art.
It’s funny, at times ludicrous, but also full of pathos. In fact, Thomas Ostermeier has created a strong production here all around - not least because it includes two Billy Bragg songs sung live and the soundtrack includes The Stranglers’s Golden Brown.
My only minor quibble might be that the second act drags just a little bit.
But definitely worth seeing - and probably the best production of The Seagull I’ve seen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.