The Cherry Orchard and Anton Chekhov

Of all the plays I have seen and read, The Cherry Orchard – albeit in translation – is the best. Its carefully woven themes of social change, disintegration and loss alongside its humour and its optimism, entertain and enrich the audience. There are no heroes or villains, just a group of beautifully drawn characters trying to make sense of their lives and their relationships with each other. There are no moral judgments: the audience is free to draw its own conclusions. It is funny, sad, romantic, satirical, tragic – a truly wonderful work of art.

It is all the more remarkable due to the circumstances under which it was written: Chekhov completed the play while suffering from severe tuberculosis, which was to kill him only six weeks after its first performance. One can only imagine – just as with van Gogh’s final paintings– the hunger and the drive of the artist, the white heat of creativity in the final moments of life.

Last year, I adapted the Cherry Orchard to 1960s East Africa. It wasn't actually that difficult to re-set the play in East Africa, the principal change being the substitution of ethnic tension and the impact of decolonisation for the emancipation of the Russian serfs and the enormous social changes this caused. This is testament to the enduring nature of the play's principal themes.

I have to admit, however, that it was not a huge success. Like many of Chekhov’s works, the main dramatic events occur offstage and are described through dialogue and individual characters’ interpretations, and the resultant lack of on-stage action can make the play seem static (especially for audiences brought up on TV and cinema). Also, the nuances and subtleties do not lend themselves to the uneven quality of an amateur cast and production team.

At least, that's my excuse.