Leaning into Uncle Vanya’s bleakness: a sumptuous play, with a deeply modern feel

By Kate Hunter, Senior Lecturer in Art and Performance, Deakin University

Uncle Vanya is Anton Chekhov’s classic tale of the flawed lives of educated, wealthy Russian elites.

First performed in 1899 and set in the time of slow decline of the old rural estate class, the play revolves around the characters of a loosely related family. Now, playwright Joanna Murray-Smith has produced a sterling adaptation, stripping back the historical language to contemporise and bring it into the 21st century.

Under director Anne-Louise Sarks, this new production is a sumptuous piece characterised by expert direction and a distinctly modern feel, while retaining…

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