The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard

Anyone following the ins and outs of the capital in 2011 will notice the work of Anton Checkhov getting a lot of attention, particularly as May sees his classic work “The Cherry Orchard” arrive on the Olivier stage of the National Theatre. It will be the second opportunity that 2011 has given London theatre audiences to witness this moving and compelling piece concerning a family’s relationship with its orchard.

It already appeared at the Noel Coward Theatre earlier in the year, when Moscow’s acclaimed Sovremennik Theatre presented a season of shows that included it and “Three Sisters”.

But with this latest staging of “The Cherry Orchard”, those with theatre tickets will witness the acclaimed actress Zoë Wanamaker in the lead role. The Double Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and other prestigious companies in London and was last seen in Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” at the Apollo Theatre in 2010. However, she is well known for her screen roles, of which there are many, and these include the sitcom “My Family”, the “Harry Potter” movies and the renowned “Edge of Darkness” for the BBC.

Andrew Upton’s version of Anton Chekhov’s work once again introduces audiences to Madame Ranevskaya¸ a Russian aristocrat, as she returns to her country home after years abroad. It is a location with some treasured memories thanks largely to the cherry orchard that sits proudly on the property. But her and her brother make a terrible decision when it comes to the estate and as a result they exacerbate the family problems, discarding nostalgia by the wayside and putting the property under great jeopardy. Times are certainly difficult in this era of Russian history and it could be a beloved and treasured possession that bears the burden.

Chekhov’s play has a heartfelt place in the hearts of theatregoers worldwide and has done since it was first seen by an audience at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1904. It would appear regularly all over the world, with London stages such as Sadler’s Wells, the RSC and the Old Vic among the locations that it would famously arrive. It now appears at the National once again, this time in a year in which audiences are also gearing up to witness another classic story in the form of “Frankenstein” from director Danny Boyle.

The Cherry Orchard makes its appearance at the Olivier National Theatre from Thursday 12th May 2011 until Thursday 28th July 2011.