Sunday, 5 August 2007 | 8:25 pm
Anton Chekhov's 'The Seagull'
Went to see it today. Was running late and arrived at the doors just as the lockdown started, so I had to watch the first 25 minutes on a t.v screen from outside. Mr Charls and Ms Kennedy were also late so I wasn't alone out there. When I finally made it to my seat, people were surprised to see me there. Obviously I lack any kind of dramatic talent and found it hard to believe Mr Charls practically forced me to go. Not that I'm complaining, it was very good.
I assume The Seagull was originally written in Russian so I suppose that gives a little bit of leeway when it comes to altering the script. For the most part, it was actually quite humorous but the actual plotline is tragic.
Synopsis [taken from the Royal Shakespeare Company website]
"Arkadina, a successful and famous actress, is spending the summer on her brother Sorin's country estate, accompanied by her younger lover, a successful and famous novelist, Trigorin. Her son, Konstantin, himself an aspiring writer, has written a play which is to be performed by Nina, daughter of a neighbouring landowner, with whom he is rapturously in love. The performance mystifies the spectators and Konstantin is enraged by the frivolous attitude of his mother.
Masha, the daughter of the estate steward, Shamrayev, is secretly in love with Konstantin, but she in turn is loved by Medvedenko, the village schoolteacher. She confesses her feelings to Doctor Dorn, who himself has secretly been the lover of her mother, Polina.
Nina's feeling for Trigorin changes from admiration to adoration. Konstantin, anguished by the withdrawal of Nina's feeling for him attempts to commit suicide. Trigorin reciprocates Nina's passion, and she decides to go to Moscow to become a professional actress. She and Trigori arrange to meet there. The visitors leave.
Two years pass. Everyone is back at the estate. Konstantin has achieved some of his literary ambitions. Masha and Medvedenko are married. Trigorin has resumed his relationship with Arkadina, having ended his affair with Nina, who is now a struggling actress touring the provinces. Nina returns briefly to the neighbourhood, and while the others are at supper, Nina and Konstantin meet again..." - The Royal Shakespeare Company website
Nina compares herself to a seagull and as a gesture of his love, Konstantin shoots a seagull and presents it to her. She doesn't understand and is horrified. Then Trigorin shows up and Konstantin storms off. Trigorin tells Nina that it could be the subject of a short story.
He muses, "A young girl lives all her life on the shore of a lake. She loves the lake, like a seagull, and she's happy and free, like a seagull. But a man arrives by chance, and when he sees her, he destroys her, out of sheer boredom. Like this seagull." Nina believes he means Konstantin will destroy her, but the irony of it is that it is in fact Trigorin who ruins her life.
I knew what was going to happen because I read up on it, so I teared up at that bit. When Konstantin was begging Nina to stay, I actually thought the ending might change to a happy ending. Yes, I'm that pathetic. You know when the actors are good because everything they say seems so...unscripted. The acting isn't forced, it's all very natural.
I really loved the way they distinguished between inside and outside! I know that sounds really weird, but every time the doors leading outside were open, you could hear thunder and rain as soon as they shut, everything was muffled. The backdrop and props were fantastic! It really made things much less confusing.
I only have one complaint and that is of the woman that played Nina. I know at the start she's meant to be innocent and immature. You could really hear it in her voice, it seemed borderline...hysterical. I sort of expected her to change when she and Konstantin met again two years later. All the other characters did, except her.
Apart from that, I loved all the other characters. I'm such a sucker for this kind of thing. Like in all plays and movies I see, I was drawn right into the characters' lives. That's why it's so easy for me to cry, they feel like good friends that I will never have the chance to see again.
Wow that was one helluva long post.
With love,
Mel
I assume The Seagull was originally written in Russian so I suppose that gives a little bit of leeway when it comes to altering the script. For the most part, it was actually quite humorous but the actual plotline is tragic.
Synopsis [taken from the Royal Shakespeare Company website]
"Arkadina, a successful and famous actress, is spending the summer on her brother Sorin's country estate, accompanied by her younger lover, a successful and famous novelist, Trigorin.
Her son, Konstantin, himself an aspiring writer, has written a play which is to be performed by Nina, daughter of a neighbouring landowner, with whom he is rapturously in love. The performance mystifies the spectators and Konstantin is enraged by the frivolous attitude of his mother.
Masha, the daughter of the estate steward, Shamrayev, is secretly in love with Konstantin, but she in turn is loved by Medvedenko, the village schoolteacher. She confesses her feelings to Doctor Dorn, who himself has secretly been the lover of her mother, Polina.
Nina's feeling for Trigorin changes from admiration to adoration. Konstantin, anguished by the withdrawal of Nina's feeling for him attempts to commit suicide. Trigorin reciprocates Nina's passion, and she decides to go to Moscow to become a professional actress. She and Trigori arrange to meet there. The visitors leave.
Two years pass. Everyone is back at the estate. Konstantin has achieved some of his literary ambitions. Masha and Medvedenko are married. Trigorin has resumed his relationship with Arkadina, having ended his affair with Nina, who is now a struggling actress touring the provinces. Nina returns briefly to the neighbourhood, and while the others are at supper, Nina and Konstantin meet again..." - The Royal Shakespeare Company website
Nina compares herself to a seagull and as a gesture of his love, Konstantin shoots a seagull and presents it to her. She doesn't understand and is horrified. Then Trigorin shows up and Konstantin storms off. Trigorin tells Nina that it could be the subject of a short story.
He muses, "A young girl lives all her life on the shore of a lake. She loves the lake, like a seagull, and she's happy and free, like a seagull. But a man arrives by chance, and when he sees her, he destroys her, out of sheer boredom. Like this seagull." Nina believes he means Konstantin will destroy her, but the irony of it is that it is in fact Trigorin who ruins her life.
I knew what was going to happen because I read up on it, so I teared up at that bit. When Konstantin was begging Nina to stay, I actually thought the ending might change to a happy ending. Yes, I'm that pathetic. You know when the actors are good because everything they say seems so...unscripted. The acting isn't forced, it's all very natural.
I really loved the way they distinguished between inside and outside! I know that sounds really weird, but every time the doors leading outside were open, you could hear thunder and rain as soon as they shut, everything was muffled. The backdrop and props were fantastic! It really made things much less confusing.
I only have one complaint and that is of the woman that played Nina. I know at the start she's meant to be innocent and immature. You could really hear it in her voice, it seemed borderline...hysterical. I sort of expected her to change when she and Konstantin met again two years later. All the other characters did, except her.
Apart from that, I loved all the other characters. I'm such a sucker for this kind of thing. Like in all plays and movies I see, I was drawn right into the characters' lives. That's why it's so easy for me to cry, they feel like good friends that I will never have the chance to see again.
Wow that was one helluva long post.
With love,
Mel