THE SEAGULL

The Seagull is Chekhov reworked into modern, suburban Australia with fibro houses, cornflakes and plastic outdoor furniture. It’s reminiscent of two things: coastal holidays and Benedict Andrews’ set design in his 2008 production of The Season At Sarsaparilla – he does adore action behind windows. Judy Davis’s Irina, the fading actress,  engulfs the stage, contorting her tiny stature into a larger-than-life performance. Symbolism overtakes words: a bucket bong for disillusionment, an iPhone camera for preserving beauty, vodka for pain. Nina’s (Maeve Dermody) innocence is dressed in pastel, a contrast to Trigorin’s (David Wenham) literary worldliness, dressed in double-denim. Props and costumes may be laden with meaning, the seagull the most easily recognised motif – innocence destroyed, but the action is in watching each character self-destruct, yearning for unattainable love or success. Emily Barclay’s unforgettable performance as Masha goes from deadpan humour to heart-wrenching pain.  A Hamlet-esque Konstantin (Dylan Young), fights for his mother’s praises, his failed ‘play-within-a-play,’ as Irina bemoans: “I take it this is experimental theatre” (in a pantomime-like nudge to the audience) sparks his downward spiral. Like suburbia, this play is suffocating and, at times, blue-collar (cue the Bruce Springsteen music), but ultimately one you can’t neglect.

Until Jul 17, Belvoir St Upstairs, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills, standing room tickets only released on the day, 9699 3444, belvoir.com.au