THE SEAGULL soars at Southwark

Anya Reiss’ new version of THE SEAGULL opens at the Southwark Playhouse in a fresh, immediate and modernised telling of Chekhov’s classic.

Anya (a previous winner at the Evening Standard, TMA and Critics' Circle Awards) says “There are things about human nature that are timeless, so putting it in a modern context was surprisingly easy to do. When you read the play like that, it highlights the important stuff and it doesn’t get lost in 19th-century Russia. Much of it is about the obsession with fame and love.”

The production is part of the Southwark Playhouse’s final season in its current location.  It is directed by Russell Bolam, stars Olivier Award winner Matthew Kelly and features the lighting designs of Tim Mascall and the sound designs of George Dennis.

Spritely new version by Anya Reiss… its great strength is that it feels both slap up-to-date and completely timeless… in a year of remarkable Chekhov revivals, this Seagull flies with the best.
Guardian ****

[Anya Reiss] dazzles us once again with a fresh, colloquial, sexy and downright perceptive new version of The Seagull that brings Chekhov’s earliest major play recognisably close to home and up-to-date, without damaging its essence.
Telegraph ****

This is the first time that Reiss has attempted an adaptation of one of the classic writers and it is an assured beginning. Her witty, understated rendering captures perfectly the dark comedy of the various love triangles… Reiss shows a firm grip on this material, once again demonstrating maturity beyond her years.

Sound designer George Dennis and lighting designer Tim Mascall create atmosphere-rich scene changes that keep our attention focused on the drama, rather than breaking up its flow.
Whatsonstage ****

It plays in the venue’s Main House from 8th November to 1st December; tickets for which can be bought here.