The Seagull

Sigrid Thornton returns to STC as the larger-than-life diva Arkadina, in a new adaptation from Australia’s greatest interpreter of Chekhov and former STC Artistic Director, Andrew Upton.

In a splendid country house beside a beautiful lake, love triangles, intrigue and thwarted egos are running amok. The ageing starlet Irina Arkadina has arrived for a romantic getaway with her much younger lover, the novelist Trigorin. Arkadina’s son, the struggling playwright Konstantin, is besotted with a beautiful young ingenue from the next house over, Nina. When a flirtation blossoms between Nina and Trigorin, jealousy and ambition throw the whole party into various states of crisis.

Director Imara Savage last wowed STC audiences with her revelatory production Saint Joan (2018). In The Seagull, Savage and Upton will bring Chekhov’s wry and offbeat sense of humour to the fore and present a beautiful investigation of the power of art and the complicated personalities that make it happen.

The first of Chekhov’s great masterpieces, The Seagull is a rich, funny and moving play that is unmissable for anyone who loves theatre. In the hands of these extraordinary artists, we are in for something very special.