I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that whatever your personal feelings about it, you will not have seen another production like UOW Theatre’s Chekhov’s Gun. The play balances absurdity with profundity, landing somewhere in the middle as an undeniably strange, yet truly affecting meditation on everything from suicide and love to family and art.
The core of these dualities is, inevitably, the dual nature of the production itself. Two of Anton Chekhov’s most famous works– The Cherry Orchard, and The Seagull – unfold side by side. As the production progresses, the two plays become increasingly entangled. Although the characters from the two plays never directly interact, they exist alongside each other in what director Tim Maddock describes as a ‘duet’, working in tandem to call viewers’ attention to the impact even small things can have on the world around them.
Chekhov’s Gun, as a concept, is grounded in this duality. It refers to the idea – developed by Chekhov himself – that everything introduced in a text is relevant to the story, and serves some kind of narrative purpose. Certainly, this title is well-suited to the production. The narrative is complemented and indeed transformed by the setting in which it takes place; music, space and costuming work to engross viewers totally in the scenes.
None of these, however, would be anything without the incredible cast. Although some performances are undeniably more in line than others with the realism Chekhov himself intended for his plays, each actor brings a truly coherent identity to their role, and presents a fulsome sense of character. A particularly standout performance was given by Lana Page as Kostya; handling a demanding role with great competence, Page was at all times compelling and authentic. The same is true of Sophie Blackburn as Nina. Although Blackburn’s performance can at first appear overdone, this eventually settles itself as a genuine attribute of the character, and she is, like Page, sure to leave an impression on viewers.
Having said this, it’s true that the play won’t be for everyone. The content is intense, and although the play is comedic at times, it’s more frequently heavy; the content warnings provided at the start aren’t to be taken lightly. For viewers uncomfortable with suicide, murder, sexual assault, depression and drug use, it’s best you give this one a miss. Even if you are comfortable with those, it’s nonetheless likely that the play will leave you shaken. Whether this is a positive characteristic or a negative, however, depends entirely on your tastes in theatre.
In any case though, UOW Theatre undeniably have a remarkable play on their hands with Chekhov’s Gun. Thought-provoking, well-executed and bold, if occasionally jumbled, the show is an unexpected interpretation of some of Chekhov’s greatest works. For anyone with an interest in literature, the nature of theatre, or even the astonishing intersection between Doechii’s ‘Anxiety’ and Russia’s pre-eminent playwright – well, Chekhov’s Gun is most certainly the play for you.
