Theatre Review: Vanya, Duke of York Theatre. Andrew Scott and Simon Stephens partnership shines in Chekhov adaptation.
Andrew Scott on stage in Vanya. Image Credit: Marc Brenner.
⭑⭑⭑⭑
Andrew Scott said in an interview recently that perhaps we need a little more of people not liking things, and he doesn’t mind when he doesn’t get a standing ovation. If that’s what he was going for, I think he’s going to be the only one sorely disappointed by this show.
To me, storytelling is the most human thing we do, and theatre done well? Storytelling doesn’t get much better. Simon Stephens writes the human condition, at least the way I experience it, better than any other writer whose work I’ve seen staged. A sentence he’ll perhaps find a little ironic in a review about an adaptation that includes a very on the nose line about a creators most acclaimed work being adaptations.
But that’s perhaps the best thing about this script, it feels self aware. Whether the introduction of the character Liam about 10 minutes in where he proclaims he’s been sat there the entire time, or towards the end when all the characters are supposed to be on stage and the line “Elizabeth, I had forgot about you” is said. It feels almost like Simon poking fun at himself in his writing, as though he had almost forgotten about her as well. There’s moments like that throughout, the script is a little absurd at times, but always aware of its own absurdity.
And it doesn’t get much more absurd than 8 characters and 1 man playing them all. Perhaps the most baffling thing of all about this though is how quickly you almost forget that it is just one man. You sort of imagine before you sit down that it will be big. That he’ll be cycling through over the top silly voices played for laughs to make it clear who is who. But it’s not that at all, it’s subtle and nuanced and utterly beautiful. It takes a moment for you to settle in and suspend your disbelief but once you do, Andrew Scott is positively mercurial in this show, falling gracefully between the eight. The way he would disappear behind the door and then enter as the new character, it was a bit like watching Stars In Their Eyes. “Tonight Duke of York Theatre, I’m going to be everybody!”
It seems as though this production is an absolute dream playground for an actor, and boy does he play. It feels like creativity at its most authentic - childlike but in the best way. In a way that’s reminiscent of seeing a child play make believe, full of ideas they’ve pulled from watching how the people around them behave. Anyone with Irish family will instantly recognise the mannerisms of their mums, nanny’s, and auntie’s in Maureen. The most impressive thing that he achieved in this production for me however, is tension. I’m not entirely sure how he does it, but somehow with absolutely no one else on the stage with him, he creates a sense of tension between these characters that’s as palpable as anything you could have seen with 7 other actors stood on the stage with him. Whilst I think many would agree that Andrew Scott has already established himself as one of the great stage actors of his day, this production will cement him in that category.
With very simple staging, soft lighting for the majority, big arches and a large mirror at the back of the stage that made the space seem vast, it felt to me almost churchlike. And with the way it opens - which I shan’t spoil - it does feel as though Andrew is inviting us in to a sanctuary of sorts. (I promise, I won’t make a fleabag joke here, but there’s no judgement from me if you do.)
It’s not a perfect production if there is such a thing. It’s about 20 minutes too long if you’re going for a single act play - at 100 minutes straight through, it was just about long enough to benefit from an interval. There’s also a chance that people who aren’t familiar with the original story may not quite get what Simon was trying to do with the modern adaptation. And despite how brilliant Andrew was at distinguishing each character with his tone, his physicality, and full accent changes, and despite a very clever use of props to signify certain characters and where they should be, there are a few moments where it’s a little hard to follow which characters are where. But overall? It’s a triumph.
Across the creative worlds there are partnerships that garner some of the respective artists best work when they come together. For me, Stephens and Scott are one of the best partnerships UK Theatre has. They understand each other, they speak the same language, they want to explore humanity in the same way. It always garners beautiful and thought-provoking theatre that leaves me feeling as though the core of me has been exposed by the end. Vanya is no exception, in fact it’s a shining example. It’s bold, it’s daring, it’s funny, it’s tender, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
Vanya is playing at the Duke of York Theatre until October 21st. Tickets from vanyaonstage.com