MARIA DUARTE and ANGUS REID review Materialists, Unmoored, Together, and Bambi: A Tale of Life in The Woods

The Cherry Orchard
Bristol Old Vic
IF YOU are hoping to reconfirm expectations of a lyrical turn of-the-century masterpiece, where inevitable social upheaval on a provincial Russian estate mirrors the mood of the passing seasons and elegiac sentiment prevails, this production of The Cherry Orchard is likely to disappoint.
Director Michael Boyd has worked with Rory Mullarky to produce a fresh, vibrant translation of Anton Chekhov's play, giving it a far more contemporary resonance, while Tom Piper’s in-the-round stage design makes the audience a key element. This is very much a production about performance and communication or, rather, its absence.

SIMON PARSONS is beguiled by a dream-like exploration of the memories of a childhood in Hong Kong

SIMON PARSONS is taken by a thought provoking and intelligent play performed with great sensitivity

SIMON PARSONS is gripped by a psychological thriller that questions the the power of the state over vulnerable individuals

SIMON PARSONS applauds an imaginative and absorbing updating of Strindberg’s classic