I take it back - all of it!

If you've read my last post then you'll know that I wasn't much impressed by the Russian theatre.Well, my view has changed: and it's all due to Uncle Vanya. Mr Chekhov certainly writes well: but then we all know that don't we. One of my theatrical highlights was a recent production of the Seagull - in translation  - along with the Cherry Orchard wonderfully complete plays both dramatically and psychologically truthful.

Last week we were treated to a gem of a performance of "Uncle Vanya" by the Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg. The stage setting was sparse; very Russian (to me at least) and beautifully paced. I have to admit it took me a while to get into the tempo of the performance. Unlike modern cosmopolitan living, life in the Russian countryside in the late 19th century went along at a modest pace. Once you recognised that you were able to appreciate the treat before you on stage.

Chekhov doesn't know how to under or overwrite character: each perfectly formed - even the young peasant  - you engaged with the characters on the stage. The play was, to my eyes, a series of two handers which allowed the characters to develop - Chekhov developing each of the main characters through their interactions with the other antagonists.

It ostensively was a play about a modest land owning family, the local doctor and unrequited love and unfulfilled passion. They all do nothing or nothing that is worthy. Nothing too complex!  Uncle Vanya looks after the estate for his professorial brother in law. The estate's income allows  the professor and his second young, attractive wife to live in town which otherwise they couldn't afford. Vanya thinks but for the thankless toil of running the estate he could have achieved something in life.

The professor is a dried up, failed scholar demanding respect and attention but seen by the others for what he is. Only his mother has any respect for him. To see her reading her son's worthless pamphlets and papers is quite tragic - for that is all that makes her life meaningful.

The professor's young, beautiful wife gave up a promising musical career to marry the scholar after the death of his first wife, Vanya's sister. She regretted that marriage - more and more as her life and that of her husband descend into idleness and recrimination.

The professor and his wife are staying on the estate - at first we don't know why - all we know is that their stay is disrupting the lives of all in the household and the family doctor. He is at the beck and call of the professor who is verging on hypochondriacal. The doctor doesn't mind because it gives him an excuse to be in the presence of the young, attractive if self obsessed wife.

Then there's the professor's daughter by his first marriage. She is plain and in love with the doctor, who of course isn't in love with her. She's too timid or stupid to test that out so she spends quite some time moping around.

That's the failed minor aristocracy for you and a small town provincial doctor - all hiding secrets and disappointments. Then there's the peasants - hard working, faithful and down trodden. Russia as represented by the play's characters is not in a good place.

Obstensively nothing much happens on the surface but emotionally all the main antagonists are paddling away frantically just below the surface. Vanya and the doctor resort to much drinking of vodka. I assumed to anaesthetise their feelings of failure and disappointment. Except Russians generally drink a lot of vodka - to soften their feelings of failure and disappointment in their nation?

In the last act we learn why the prof and his wife are staying at the estate. They're going to sell it! It's not bringing in sufficient income to support them in the life they think they should be living in town. Selling it and investing the money in bonds will give a much better return than currently provided by the estate. That will maintain their life style and leave enough to buy a nice holiday home in Finland.

Vanya's not happy with this and tells his brother in law so. After a flaming family row which ended in Vanya failed attempt to kill the professor, it's decided to leave things as they are.

The professor and his very attractive young wife leave; she and the doctor realising that they've lost the opportunity to have a passionate affair (both far too lazy or scared to take that extra step). The doctor leaves, the daughter having learnt that the doctor doesn't love her.

The play ends with Vanya and his niece sitting down going through the accounts as they have always done. The only consolation she has is the knowledge that the toil will end one day and they'll get their reward in heaven. Vanya, I don't think, shares her optimism, but at least the estate's not to be sold and life can go on as before. Or can it after such disruption?

Given the above you may think that at the end of the play the first thing you'd do is hang yourself from the nearest lamp post. Nothing could be further from the truth. The play was full of laughs, and despite the people portrayed being mostly completely useless and lost you warmed to them. I mean I felt that they needed a revolution to shake them up!

There were gallons of curtain calls and the whole theatre gave a standing ovation: I thought the two young Russian women in front of us would throw themselves over the balcony - so enraptured were they by the play and the performances.

Oh, did I mention it was in Russian with English surscript? The brain's amazingly adaptable - after a short while I was perfectly at ease with that - in fact I completely forgot about it. The only time it noticed was when there were comical scenes. Then the translation went ahead of the actors speaking on stage so the English speaking audience got the joke before the Russian audience which was quite intriguing.

As I say, I take it back - all of it - the Maly Drama Theatre of St Petersburg are the bees knees or as we say in Russia "Колено пчелы."