Modern twist works

THE SEAGULL
(Library Company at the Lowry)

ARTISTIC director Chris Honer bows out of his years with the Library with this updated version of Chekhov’s classic story, and while it might not exactly equate to going out with a bang, there are at least a couple of bumps and a whimper or two.

This version of the angst-ridden family drama has been updated by wunderkind Anya Reiss, who burst on the London scene with her first play when she was 17 and now at 20 impresses greatly with her discreet modernisation.

The action moves to (Reiss suggests) somewhere slightly off the beaten track such as the Isle of Man, and the big city constantly mentioned is London. The time is pretty much the present; would-be playwright Konstantin has a laptop and mobile phone, while the estate manager struggles for possession and control of the only working four-wheeler.

The characters are subtly updated too; Masha (Victoria Lloyd) is something of a Goth, while Nina (Sophie Robinson) is bright, sweet and impressionable. Famous author Trigorin is less pompous than usual and actually quite human as played by Graeme Hawley, while his lover Arkadina is as insufferably self-absorbed and brittle as ever in the hands of Susie Trayling.

While there are little hints of irony and comedy — at one point Masha’s husband Medvedenko is whingeing to all who will listen about his mobile phone contract —Chekhov’s air of melancholy and despair remains.

At the heart of the matter are the unrequited romances that break the group apart: Masha loves Konstantin; Nina loves Trigorin while Konstantin loves her. Chekhov’s glimpses of broken lives are also still intact: Nina leaves to try her hand at acting and briefly succeeds, but returns a fairly broken woman; Konstantin ach-ieves moderate success as a playwright but is unable to capitalise on it and sinks further into the depression that will take his life at the second attempt.

It is left to the avuncular doctor (Christopher Wright) and head of the houshold, the dying Sorin (Peter MacQueen) to bring participants back to earth, prising apart their stories.

Chris Honer’s direction is clear and while it might have been interesting for Reiss to throw out the original completely and make this a fully contemporary drama, this half-way house adaptation is still cleverly and effectively done.