When celebrated actress Irina Arkadina arrives at her family's country estate for the summer, she finds herself caught in a perfect storm of conflicting desires.

Her playwright son, Konstantin, is struggling to step out of her shadow to pursue his own artistic ambitions. Her lover Trigorin, a famous novelist, has entranced the aspiring young actress Nina, with whom Konstantin is in love. And complicating everything is Arkadina's own need to take centre stage, in her personal life as well as her work.

As their lives entwine and they each grapple with their desires, ambitions and disappointments, Anton Chekhov's timeless play unfolds in a gripping tale of vanity, power and sacrifices made in the name of art.

This refreshing, revitalised adaptation of The Seagull by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier was first performed at the Barbican Theatre, London, in 2025, directed by Ostermeier. The ensemble cast included Cate Blanchett, Tom Burke, Emma Corrin and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

About the Author

Duncan Macmillan's other plays include Lungs, People, Places and Things, Every Brilliant Thing and a stage adaptation of 1984, which he co-adapted and co-directed with Robert Icke. Thomas Ostermeier is a writer and director, and the Artistic Director of the Schaubuhne in Berlin.

Reviews

'Remarkable... magically balances lightness, wit and melancholy... You feel for each of the characters... A masterfully handled comedy where Chekhov's gun sounds the tragic final note'

* Guardian *

'21st-century drama at its most audacious'

* The Times *

'Duncan Macmillan's adaptation is largely faithful, often very beautiful... plays out with great humour but, more importantly, great complexity... an exquisite piece of theatre'

* Evening Standard *

'Utterly engrossing... languid, thoughtful, and often hilarious... a perfectly pitched adaptation laced with witty notes'

* Independent *

'This adaptation is a cracker... The language and the costumes might be fiercely contemporary, but the masterful setting and characters are 100 per cent Chekhov'

* The I Paper *

'Superb... a magnificent adaptation... surprisingly serious and sensitive in unpicking both the comic and tragic notes in Chekhov's play... It feels urgent, present... plays wonderful dividends with all the characters, letting the humour - and it is really funny - bubble gently from their interactions... glorious'

* WhatsOnStage *

'A breathtaking spectacle that both honours Chekhov's classic and reinvents it for a modern audience... reminds us why Chekhov's play has endured for over a century, but more importantly, offers fresh insights into its characters and themes... This is how you reinvent a masterpiece'

* Theatre Weekly *

'Bold, ambitious and innovative... this is Chekhov as you've never seen him before... Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier have ripped up the rulebook to put their own stamp on the story while retaining the very essence of the original... it works sensationally well'

* All That Dazzles *



Book Information
ISBN 9781839044519
Author Anton Chekhov
Format Paperback
Page Count 80
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 6mm