Review by Lauren Donikian
Adapted by Joanna Murray – Smith, Uncle Vanya at the Ensemble Theatre is a deep dive into unrequited love, family dynamics, and one uncle that has had enough.
This much beloved play has had many iterations, but the true heart of the story remains the same, that of a man that has lived too much and one that hasn’t lived at all. Set on a country Estate in Russia we meet Uncle Vanya, and his niece Sonya who are both working hard to make ends meet. Sonya’s Father, Professor Serebryakov visits and brings along his new young wife Yelena and a world of pain for the residents of this humble estate.
Stage designer Nick Fry used wooden floors and walls to create the inside of the estate. A small red chaise lounge is off to the side of the stage, and there is a small dining table in the middle with a large silver pot. There are three chairs around the table and another 2 along the wall behind it. There is a buffet against the wall, with two sets of glass pane doors which the cast use as entrances and exits. There is a curtain behind the panes that runs the length of the stage and looks like autumn with red and orange leaves making up most of the design. There is a piano pushed up against the curtain, but not in the way, and a hallway has been created. It is a cozy setting which drops you into the setting and only changes slightly over the 2 hour and 20-minute performance. Lighting designer Matt Cox cleverly uses lighting to represent the passing of days with soft yellow lighting for during the day and a dark blue wash at night. There are also lamps on the wall which are lit by the soft yellow lights to give them a richer hue. Composer and sound engineer Steve Francis creates the soundscape with birds singing and crickets chirping as you enter. It is a beautiful set with shadowed branches coming in from the sides and makeshift flower vases made from bottles. It is sweet and simple, much like its habitants.
Yalin Ozucelik as Vanya in his three-piece brown suit is serious, hopeful and devastatingly heartbreaking. Chantelle Jamieson who plays Yelena in a maroon wrap dress is effervescent and comes alive when she is playing alongside Abbey Morgans Sonya who as the youngest in the cast. Morgan seems to be the glue that holds them all together. She comes across wiser than her years in her brown toned plaid dress, as she sets the table, breaks down the table and makes sure everyone is comfortable. She is grounded and measured right until the very end and shows true strength of character. David Lynch who plays her father Serebryakov is not afraid to play an unlikeable character. One who is completely nonchalant about the affect they have on the ones they love, and the pain they have caused. Tim Walter, who plays Astrov has one of the biggest turnarounds in the show and it pays off with his honest portrayal of a doctor that has seen too much. Light moments are mainly brought by Vanessa Downing as nanny/ Mariya and John Gaden AO as Telyeghin with the two interacting with each other and surprisingly being the voice of reason. This is a strong cast with a level of warmth that can be felt across the stage.
As someone that has never experienced Uncle Vanya, I was pleasantly surprised. I smiled, laughed and empathised with these characters and was able to come out of the show happier than I went in. Despite the actions that led these characters to the end of the show, there was a sense of hope that echoed through the walls as we left, and that’s something the we can never lose sigh of.
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