We need the theatre, couldn't, couldn't do without it. Could we? A successful actress visits her brother's isolated estate far from the city, throwing the frustrated residents unfulfilled ambitions into sharp relief. As her son attempts to impress with a self-penned play, putting much more than his pride at stake, others dream of fame, love and the ability to change their past. Chekhov's darkly comic masterpiece is reignited for the 21st century by one of the most exciting new voices in British Theatre, Anya Reiss, Winner of the Most Promising Playwright at both the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle awards. This updated and revised edition was published following the West End production directed by Jamie Lloyd in 2022.

A contemporary retelling of Chekhov's masterpiece which ran in London's West End starring Emilia Clarke.

About the Author
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), Russian physician, dramatist and author, is considered to be one of the greatest writers of short stories and modern drama.. He is best-remembered for his four dramatic masterpieces: The Seagull (1896), Uncle Vanya (1899), Three Sisters (1901) and The Cherry Orchard (1904). Anya Reiss wrote her first play when she was 14, as a member of the Royal Court Theatre's Young Writers' Programme. Her debut play, Spur of the Moment (written when she was 17) opened at the Royal Court Theatre in 2010. Anya won the Most Promising Playwright Award at the 2010 Evening Standard Awards, Best New Play at the 2010 TMA Awards and Most Promising Playwright at the 2010 Critics' Circle Awards. Her play, The Acid Test, opened at the Royal Court in May 2011 and received rave reviews. She also contributed to the Bush Theatre's Sixty Six Books in 2011 and the Old Vic's Children's Monologues in 2010. She wrote the play Forty Five Minutes for the 2013 National Theatre Connections.


Book Information
ISBN 9781350423213
Author Anton Chekhov
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Methuen Drama
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC