On the screen, David still has a very questionable relationship with our fellow country-people: the Russian frivolous ladies chasing Australian fiances (
"Russian doll"), Russian criminals, drug dealers (
"Killing Time") and so on. It's nice that if only on the stage David finally got a chance to see Russia from its best side. In spring 2011, the famous and celebrated by critics Belvoir Street Theatre ("Hamlet," "The Tempest", "Cosi", "The Headbutt", "The SplendidТsФ) has announced the return of David on its stage in the most resonant production of the year - Chekhov's "The Seagull" in a version by one of the best Australian theater directors, Benedict Andrews, with a terrific cast, led by the legendary Judy Davis.
The choice could not be more stunning! Welcome to the Universe of Russian classics, David!
With strange, purely Russian humor Chekhov called his very sad piece, where everybody loves without any reciprocity, a comedy. Poor Kostya Treplev leads a miserable existence in the country estate of his uncle. More than anything he loves literature, in which he dreams to open a New Age, his mother, famous actress Irina Arkadina, and his nice neighbor, Nina Zarechnaya possessed by art. But Kostya is defeated on all fronts: the public does not understand his intricate work, his mother only care about her own success, and the young Nina quickly turns her attention to the man who is endowed with more charisma, talent and fame. Ironically, the cause of all three Kostya's failures is embodied in one person - the popular and talented writer, present lover of Arkadina, future lover of Nina - Boris Trigorin.
However, Trigorin does not look like a victor in this company of the sufferers of unrequited love, as the talent, fame and love is a heavy burden and hard work, regardless of whether you climb this cliff, or stand on the top of it. Not everyone can bear it.
We all know that "The Seagull" failed horribly in the very first opening night in 1896, but it soared into space a few years later on the stage of the Moscow Art Theatre under the guidance of Stanislavsky.
Today the directors throughout the world love Russian "The Seagull", because it is universal. It is not about the mysterious Russian soul, it is about something that you can call the meaning of life of any person in general, and the artist particularly - love and creativity.
A fan of new forms, Benedict Andrews, used the outstanding moves to strengthen this simple idea, so the audience just had to accept the fact that the action takes place nowadays, the characters live in an Australian holiday shack, Nina performs the Kostya's unsuccessful play, sitting in a glass cube and Trigorin's name is Alexey.
But while the residents of Russian Wenhamania regained consciousness after the culture shock, Sydney's residents stormed the theater box office. As a result tickets to all performances of the season have evaporated with the speed of sound long before the night of premiere, and the administration was forced to announce a limited sale of standing room tickets, so that to encourage the suffering fans of Anton Chekhov, Benedict Andrews, Judy Davis, Maeve Dermody, Emily Barclay.
Fans of David Wenham would be happy even to buy hanging room tickets! Sorry, dear Anton Pavlovich and Constantin Sergeyevich, but never before your Triogrin was so attractive and charismatic.
