Sydney review - Uncle Vanya: an extraordinary play

By Paul Kiely

Uncle Vanya

By Anton Chekhov

Adapted by Joanna Murray-Smith

Directed by Mark Kilmurry

An Ensemble Theatre Production

Ensemble Theatre

78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli 

Season: 26 July – 31 August 2024. Duration: 120 minutes plus interval

Bookings: www.ensemble.com.au 

Watching characters on stage whose lives are steeped in suffering, sadness, loneliness, and despair can be one of life’s great therapies. There’s a strange comfort in witnessing their struggles, knowing that our own lives, by comparison, are far less tumultuous. When we leave the theatre, we may find ourselves reinvigorated, inspired, even uplifted. Uncle Vanya, now playing at the Ensemble Theatre, offers this very experience. My sincere thanks go to the cast and production crew for delivering a performance that manages to elevate the spirit through its depiction of life’s unfulfilled desires.

Written by Anton Chekhov, Uncle Vanya is a beautifully melancholic tale of a middle-class, dysfunctional family set in rural Russia in the late 1890s. Their daily existence is monotonous and repetitive, leaving little hope for joy or fulfillment. Love, in this bleak world, seems an even more remote possibility. Remarkably, Chekhov’s work remains relevant today, with its subtexts touching on themes like environmental protection, climate change, and even…. real estate!

The story revolves around Sonya (Abbey Morgan), a young woman in her late teens, who lives on an estate with her uncle, Vanya (Yalin Ozucelik). Vanya’s mother and housekeeper, Nanny (Vanessa Downing), and a bankrupt landowner known as Telyeghin or ‘Waffles’ (John Gaden) also reside with them. The local doctor, Astrov (Tim Walter), is a frequent visitor as he makes his rounds in the community.

The arrival of Sonya’s father, Professor Serebryakov (David Lynch), and his much younger second wife, Yelena (Chantelle Jamieson), disrupts the household’s fragile equilibrium. The Professor, in Vanya’s eyes, carries an unjustified air of superiority, acting as though he owns the estate, which in fact belongs to Sonya, inherited from her late mother.

Yelena’s beauty does not go unnoticed by either Vanya or Astrov. Vanya harbors fantasies of a life with Yelena and even declares his love for her. Meanwhile, Astrov finds himself equally drawn to her, leading to a stolen kiss. Vanya, witnessing this, is left devastated.

Sonya, too, is not immune to unrequited love. She imagines a future with Astrov, but her feelings are sadly unreciprocated.

Uncle Vanya is an extraordinary play, made even more compelling in this adaptation by Joanna Murray-Smith. While the language has been modernized to resonate more deeply with contemporary audiences, the period setting is meticulously preserved.

Director Mark Kilmurry’s deep affection for Chekhov is evident throughout the production. The set, crafted with dark timbers and antique furnishings, the evocative Russian-esque costumes, the dim, moody lighting—all of these elements reflect his careful attention to detail. But most notably, his love of Chekhov shines through in his choice of cast.

Each actor fully inhabits their role, with standout performances from Yalin Ozucelik as Vanya, Tim Walter as Astrov, Chantelle Jamieson as Yelena, and David Lynch as Serebryakov. The ensemble delivers a particularly powerful scene in which the future of the estate is debated, leaving the audience captivated by the dramatic tension and comic undertones. Vanya’s monologue, brimming with frustration, bewilderment, rage, and despair, is gripping, bringing the play’s raw emotions to a boil.

Uncle Vanya is a classic that deserves to be seen. Its themes of unrequited love, despair, and melancholy are as touching as they are relatable. As Yelena aptly observes, “I’ve never met so many people delighted to be miserable.” Indeed, this play reminds us of the peculiar joys found in comedy within tragedy.