Seagull Programme Draft 7

8/9/2019 Seagull Programme Draft 7

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an amateur theatre production presented by



WELCOME

Welcome to our latest production. This is the second play

that we have presented in the lovely surroundings of The

Regal in Tenbury Wells following on from Anne Boleyn by

Howard Brenton last autumn.

One of the aims of the company is to give our actors a

chance to be involved in performing classic plays butpreferably ones where there is the introduction of some

new dynamic. Classics need occasionally to be given a

fresh airing and this production is an excellent modern

adaptation by the young, but brilliant, Anya Reiss

(pronounced Reece).

Is it a sacrilegious act to transport a late nineteenth century

Russian play to contemporary United Kingdom? Some arguethat Chekhov plays should be left in the nineteenth century.

In an interview earlier this year this point was put perhaps a

little more subtly to Anya Reiss and her attitude to it was

that no classic play is out of bounds as long as the adaptor

is trying to be true to the play and not hijacking a famous

title in “order to say your own thing”.

In fact, it took some years for Anya Reiss to warm to the

play. She first read it at school in Year 10 and hated it.

Even seeing the play a few years later at The National left

her far from convinced by its merits. But when she was

considering adapting the play it was the dialogue between

Trigorin and Nina at the end of Act Two which persuaded

her that this was a worthy project. As a writer she readilyidentifies with the anxieties of Trigorin but there is a little bit

of every character in the story which strikes a chord.



She feels caught between Konstantin’s hope to make

something new but his inability to do it “without affectation”,

and Arkadina’s frustration with people who feel they need

to destroy the old forms before you can create new ones.

Chekhov did not write a history piece. He did not expect

his audience, in Anya’s Reiss’ eyes, to have read a book on the social economic circumstances of 19th century

Russia to be able to understand the play. Chekhov was just

writing about people and art and love and life. In adapting

it Anya Reiss has been trying only to free the characters so

an audience can see who they are and how they are still

walking around now.

We hope you enjoy this performance and that you will join us later in the year at the Assembly Rooms in Ludlow

(23rd to 25th October) for Yes, Prime Minister.

Going forward we have a number of exciting productions

in the pipeline including the recent award winning Richard

Eyre adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts which will be

performed at the end of March 2015.

Anybody wishing to join this company in any capacity

should feel free to contact us. You will find us online at

www.heretothereproductions.com

Thank you for your support.

Andrew WhittleProducer



ANYA REISS

Anya began writing plays when at 14 she became a member

of the Royal Court Theatre's Young Writer's Programme. For

the stage she has most recently adapted Frank Wedekind's

Spring Awakening, which has toured for Headlong Theatre,

as well as a new adaption of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters,

which played at the Southwark Playhouse.

She previously wrote Forty-Five Minutes for the National

Theatre's 2013 Connections Festival. Prior to that she wrote

The Acid Test, which opened at the Royal Court in May 2011

and received rave reviews.

Her debut play, Spur of the Moment, which was written when

she was 17, opened at the Royal Court Theatre in July 2010,

for which she won MostPromising Playwright at the

2010 Evening Standard

Awards, Best New Play at

the 2010 TMA Awards and

Most Promising Playwright

at the 2010 Critics' Circle

Awards.

She is currently writing a

screenplpay for DNA /

Film4, Handsome Devils,

another for Number 9

Films, is developing a TV

series idea, Exclusive, with

Lovely Day Productions,and is also a core writer

on EastEnders. p h o t

o b y E M M A B U L L I V A

N T



SCENES

Act 1

Scene 1 Outside, by a lake

Scene 2 The next morning

Act 2

Scene 1 Entrance hall,

one week later

Scene 2 Konstantin's study,

several years later



DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Chekov. Gloomy, weighty subject matter played out in a

dark Russian dachas, surely? Well, possibly - but Anya Reiss,

whilst remaining true to Chekov's story, has brought it into

the more familiar background of modern Britain.

It is a testament to Chekhov that his story still rings true when

set in such a different environment and demonstrates Reiss'

skill in adapting a story which might otherwise be seen asdifficult for modern audiences.

The Seagull has been described as 'darkly comic' and it was

our job to bring out both the light and shade in this play.

There is a lot of fun to be had in recognising the very human

side of these characters - they spring off the page into the

mind's eye and the cast have fully rounded them into thepeople you will see living, loving and squabbling onstage.

Human foibles make them laughable with their pomposity,

vanity and self-absorption but we perhaps also recognise

ourselves in their tales of hopes and disappointments

- and sympathise.



This is the second project on which I have worked with

Here to There Productions. Quite a challenging task to get

the ideas out of my head and on to the stage, bringing to

life those characters whom I could see so clearly! Of course

this cannot happen without cast and crew; and I am very

fortunate in having a very supportive team about me.

It has been a marvellous experience working with peoplewho are as enthusiastic about this particular play as I am.

It has truly been a team effort, harnessing our ideas and

crafting this jewel we are to present to you.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the performance and that it

stays with you on your return home.

Skye WitneyDirector

The cast and crew would like to thank;

Little Witley Village Hall - rehearsal venue

St Leonard’s Press - publicity materials & props

RP Joinery - carpenter

and all at The Regal Theatre in Tenbury Wells for

having us and for helping to promote this production



THE SEAGULL SOARS

“It’s boring, dull and has nothing to say to anyone. The actors aren’t

interested, which means the audience won’t be either.”

These are the words of Anton Chekhov (1860 - 1904) after leaving a

rehearsal for The Seagull which was to be performed in Moscow in

December 1898 by the newly formed Moscow Art Theatre (“MAT”).

Such was Chekhov’s disenchantment of what he had seen through

rehearsal he thought of withdrawing the play, especially as he could notprevent the cast delivering half-learned lines bombastically or convince

them that his characters were “simple ordinary people”. Despite these

misgivings and his despondency he allowed the performance to proceed

on 17th December 1898 to what was critical acclaim.

The actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski (1863-1938), mainly known

these days for his systematic approach to the training of actors had, in

conjunction with Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, created in 1897 the

Moscow Public-Accessible Theatre, which became known as MAT. Their

plan was to establish a network of touring theatre companies that wouldbring high quality drama to the surrounding area of selected towns.

The company consisted of 23 actors and 16 actresses and was up and

running during the summer of 1898. However, it was in December of that

year that MAT launched its first major production; Chekhov’s The Seagull.

Stanislavski met Chekhov at a literary-musical evening in February 1897.

The choice of play is perhaps surprising given that The Seagull, first

performed in 1896, had been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster.

The first production was at

St Petersburg’s Alexandrisky

Theatre. Such was the hissing,

booing and mocking that

Chekhov left the theatre with

his overcoat collar hiding his

face. Walking the cold streets

alone until the early hours

served only to exacerbatehis deteriorating TB.

Anton Chekov reading the Seagull in May 1899



Chekhov had expected the play to be a disaster. He is recorded as having

said that “The Seagull flagrantly disregards the basic tenets of the stage”,

adding that it had “much conversation and five tons of love".

His family and friends had been unimpressed when he had read the play

to them. The committee of MAT thought that the play lacked structure.

The cast of MAT, it seemed to Chekhov, were oblivious to the subtlety with

which he had charted the affair between Trigorin and Arkadina, Trigorin’s

seduction of the aspiring actress Nina and the suicidal despair of herwould-be lover and Arkadina’s son, Konstantin.

The Seagull was on 17th December 1898 the curtain-raiser in a benefit

evening for a popular farce actress, and her supporters were in no mood

for a delicate tragi-comedy. Her friends felt that the presentation of

such a play was nothing but an insult.

“Everyone kept assuring me that my characters were all idiots and my

play was dramatically unsound, ill-advised, incomprehensible, even

nonsensical”, Chekhov wrote to a friend who admired the piece.He declared following the 1896 flop that he would never write for the

stage again “even if I live for 700 years”.

However, since the original disaster The Seagull had been successful in

both Kharkov and Odessa. Further, Chekhov had another play, Uncle

Vanya, which was thriving in the provinces and so it was that Chekhov

gave his blessing to the Moscow revival for his play.

On the opening night the curtain fell at the end of the first half to what

Stanislavski, who was playing the part of Trigorin as well as directing,called “the Silence of the Tomb.” At its conclusion the performers huddled

together, one starting to sob and another, Olga Knipper, who was playing

Arkadina and who would later marry Chekhov, struggling to avoid hysteria.

However, when the curtain fell at the end of the play “the audience gave

a kind of moan” wrote Stanislavski, “and burst into applause”.

The play’s success was so colossal, he added, that it was like a second

Easter on stage. At the end everyone kissed everyone else and many

people, including, Stanislavski himself,“danced a wild dance of joy and

excitement”. The audience chanted “author, author!” followed by “senda telegraph!” upon hearing that Chekhov was in virtual hiding at the

southern tip of the Crimea in Yalta some eight hundred miles away. One

was duly dispatched informing the dramatist of the unexpected triumph.



It was this production which forged a long standing relationship

between Chekhov and Stanislavski. It was the MAT who were given

the rights to premiere both Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard.

Yet all was far from straightforward. Chekhov was of the opinion that

Stanislavski opted for a realistic atmosphere at the expense of comedy

and, in the case of The Seagull, was not pleased by sound effects that

included birds and frogs or by the idea of introducing a crying baby.

Moreover, he found Stanislavski’s down beat Trigorin in need of“a sprinkling of thyroid extract”. He walked and talked like a paralytic.

He interpreted his part of that of a man without a will of his own and

in a way that absolutely nauseated me”.

His honest but blunt thoughts may seem somewhat ungrateful.

Stanislavski had after all established Chekhov as a great dramatist,

although it took some years after the playwright’s death for this

to be acknowledged in the English-speaking world. An impresario,

motivated by “making suffering fashionable”, introduced the play

to New York in 1905. It was well enough received but was performedin Russian. It was not until 1916 that the city saw an English-language

production.

Chekhov’s British debut, in 1909 in Glasgow, was again warmly

received. The Evening Times praised the “sure hand” with which

Chekhov portrayed contrasting characters and The Herald admired

the play’s humanity, warmth and vivid picture of rural dullness.

Following on from a poorly received presentation of The CherryOrchard in 1911, The Seagull was performed in London the following

year. The reaction was lukewarm. For all its subtlety The Daily

Telegraph felt the play “left no decisive mark”.

It was not until the 1920s that Chekhov’s influential admirers,

Desmond McCarthy in London and Edmund Wilson in New York,

found themselves in the majority: “sheer light, a work of unalloyed

genius”, wrote the New York Times of The Seagull in 1929.

Nowadays most theatre critics agree.

Andrew Whittle



Thurs 23rd to Sat 25th October 2014

(including matinee)

at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire

Anton y Ja y & Jonathan L ynn



CAST AND CREW

Janet Bright: Arkadina

Janet first appearance on stage as the second angel on the

left in her primary school nativity, circa 1976; she always

wanted to be Mary. Her last production saw her directing

whilst playing George in Here to There's outstanding 'Anne

Boleyn', and she will soon be starring as Dotty Ottly/ Mrs

Clackett in 'Noises Off' with the Swan Amateur TheatreCompany, Worcester.

Tom Clarke: Medvedenko

Having always had a love of theatre Tom studied Performing

Arts at Worcester Technology College and has appeared in

‘Les Miserables’ and ‘RENT’. He is very excited and pleased to

be performing the role of Medvedenko.

Jimmy Corbett: Konstantin

Jimmy’s first performance was in March 2014 as George

Deever in Miller’s ‘All My Sons’. He is very much looking

forward to the challenge of taking on this second, more

challenging, role of the complex Konstantin.

Sue Hawkins: Polina

From her first performance as a water baby, aged 3 (exit

stage left, crying) Sue Hawkins has been hooked on the

stage. She has acted with various amateur companies in her

native Kent and in Worcestershire, in particular with the Swan

Theatre Amateur Company. Favourite roles have included:

Lady Felmet in Wyrd Sisters, Miriam in Outside Edge, Irene

Ruddock in A Lady of Letters (one of Alan Bennett's Talking

Heads monologues), Sheila in Relatively Speaking and Pearl

in Ladies Down Under. This is her first outing with Here to There

Productions and she is enjoying all the cake at rehearsals!



Cerys Jones: Nina

Cerys began performing at the age of three when she joined

Star Stage School of Dancing. She progressed to appear in

shows with Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Youth Section,

landing lead roles including Anne in “Half a Sixpence” (2011)

and Gladys Murphy in “Copacabana” (2013). Since then,

she has started up her own cabaret act specialising in OldClassics and Rock ‘n Roll, performing across the Midlands.

Cerys has just finished her second year of studying Performing

Arts at Worcester College of Technology. She now hopes to

pursue a career in acting. Next year, she is auditioning for

drama schools across Britain and hopes to move away to

continue following her dreams in September 2015. She has

thoroughly enjoyed her time working on this show and is very

grateful for the opportunity that was presented to her.

Christopher Kingsley: Shamrayev

Christopher Kingsley was bitten by the performing bug just

a few years ago and has since appeared in numerous stage

plays, sketches and Murder Mysteries for several local

companies. These include Anne Boleyn for Here to There

Productions, Journey's End, Black Comedy and Calendar

Girls for the Swan Theatre Amateur Company; The Witches,

Alice in Wonderland and Wind In The Willows for Malvern

Theatre Players and Murder Mysteries and sketch shows

with Worcester Pub Theatre Company. He also dabbles in

performance poetry and has performed in award-winning

"fright" scenes. He has just completed a role as Creon in

Oedipus The King with Colwall Players.



CAST AND CREW

Tom Martin: Trigorin

Tom lives and works in Worcester and is often to be found

cycling through Tenbury on the way to Clee Hill. He has

been known to enjoy a cup of coffee and a slice of cake at

'The Spotty Dog' to give him some strength for the climb!

Andrew Whittle: Dorn

Andrew directed the Company’s first play The Hound of the

Baskervilles. He has also appeared in Betrayal, Anne Boleyn,

Funny Money, The Diary of Anne Frank, An Inspector Calls,

Taking Steps, Nil by Mouth, Murdered to Death, Rumours,

A Man For All Seasons, The Witches and Inherit the Wind.

Femke Witney: Masha

Femke has been performing in professional and amateurproductions for the last 15 years. She has worked in radio,

television and theatre; and has sung both musical theatre

numbers and covers of current hits with a band in London.

She has performed locally with More is More frightening the

people of Worcester in a “horror experience” and has

appeared with Swan Theatre Amateur Company in several

productions, most recently Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Confusions’.

She is currently training at Birmingham School of Acting.This is her first performance with Here to There Productions.

Jim Austin: Sorin

Director: Skye Witney

Producer: Andrew Whittle

Playwright: Anton Chekhov (a new version by Anya Reiss)

Stage Manager: Chris HarperAssistant Producers: James Dakers and Lauren Edwards

Lighting Designer and Operator: Wild Edric Media



“We need the theatre,

couldn’t, couldn’t dowithout it. Could we?”

Anya Reiss' new version of Anton Chekov's

THE SEAGULL was first produced by JaggedFence Productions and premiered at the

Southwarm Playhouse, London, in 2012.

THE SEAGULL by Anton Chekov

Version © Anya Reiss (2012)

Seagull Programme Draft 7

Documents

Transcript of Seagull Programme Draft 7