Thursday 3 September 2015

The Present

(Sydney Theatre Company)

Outgoing Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company Andrew Upton has taken a little known Anton Chekhov play 'Platonov' and created "The Present'.

Set in Russia in the mid 1990s and starring Upton's spouse Cate Blanchett the play is set around the fortieth birthday party of the widow of a feared General. The partygoers include past lovers and would be lovers some with hidden self interested intentions.

The play passes through three moods. Summer lethargy is followed by a style of farce and the final third is a moody surrealism.

Some entertaining moments for me but apparently more so for others in the audience judging by the rapturous curtain call reception.
★★★

No comments:

Post a Comment