Melbourne Theatre Company’s new production of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, translated by Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by Anne-Louise Sarks, struggles under the weight of uneven performances and cringey anachronisms. The production, at Arts Centre Melbourne until 22 August, features celebrity casting with Shaun Micallef as Professor Serebryakov, which proves disastrous.
Setting and Opening
Dann Barber’s set of autumnal poplar trees shedding leaves over a gold-and-brown-lit space, designed by Paul Jackson, starts promisingly. Violent Femmes’ Add It Up plays, hinting at anachronisms to come. The play opens with Astrov (Fayssal Bazzi) chatting with Nanny (Evelyn Krape), showing class interaction. Uncle Vanya (Daniel Henshall) enters, and we learn of the disruption caused by retired professor Serebryakov (Micallef) and his young wife Yelena (Catherine Vǎn-Davies).
Plot and Performances
The bored urbanites rule the estate that Vanya and his niece Sonya (Philippa Northeast) have worked for years. Everyone falls in love with someone else: Sonya and Yelena with Astrov, Vanya with Yelena, and Serebryakov with himself. There is yelling, well-acted inebriation, and a gunshot, but no one is seriously hurt. Performances are uneven: Henshall heaves emotions without heat, Krape is gorgeous, Northeast crisp and soulful, Vǎn-Davies never progresses into tragic heroine. Bazzi is fantastic as the doctor, and he and Northeast often make the play theirs.
Modernisation and Tone
Murray-Smith’s translation includes anachronisms like “Don’t be such a drama queen, Vanya” and frequent “fucks,” which push the play toward farce. It recovers some gravitas at the end but too late. Micallef’s Serebryakov is a disaster—cartoonish and floppy, like a Basil Fawlty understudy. The production leaves no room for silence or ambiguity, shouting intentions rather than inviting contemplation. Aggressive modernisations drive a wedge between the audience and Chekhov’s world.
Conclusion
Despite Chekhov’s strong conception, the production cannot recover from uneven tone. Sarks and Murray-Smith’s approach undercuts the play’s shimmering radiance. Uncle Vanya runs until 22 August at Arts Centre Melbourne.
