Vanya Tickets

This is hardly Stephens’s first time creating a fresh version of a revered work. He previously adapted Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, and Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

Still, this is hallowed theatrical ground. Uncle Vanya has seen numerous great actors and actresses taking on Chekhov’s poignantly discontented characters – including Laurence Olivier, Michael Gambon, Simon Russell Beale, Ian McKellen, Antony Sher, William Hurt, and Cate Blanchett.

If anyone is up to the task, it’s Scott. His previous theatre work includes Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End, and Present Laughter at the Old Vic, for which he won an Olivier Award. He also picked up a BAFTA for his villainous Moriarty in the detective drama Sherlock, and his diverse screen credits include the movies 1917 and Pride and TV shows His Dark Materials, Fleabag (in which he played the Hot Priest), and the upcoming Ripley.

Sam Yates directs Vanya. He previously directed Matthew Broderick and Elizabeth McGovern in The Starry Messenger, and his other West End shows include Murder Ballad, East is East, and Glengarry Glen Ross.

What to Watch For

• In 2009, Scott appeared in a production of Sea Wall, another one-man play by Stephens.
• Stanislavski starred in the original Moscow production of Uncle Vanya, while Olga Knipper, later Chekhov’s wife, played Yelena.
• This play adheres to the principle of “Chekhov’s gun,” so keep an eye on all firearms…
• Multiple authors have creatively adapted Uncle Vanya before. Alan Ayckbourn set his version, Dear Uncle, in the Lake District in the 1930s. Sam Neill starred in an Australian film version set in the Outback.
• The acclaimed 2021 Japanese movie Drive My Car features rehearsals for a production of Uncle Vanya, and the drama and themes of the play echoing those of the people staging it.