With dance, physical theatre, comedy, various singing styles and a set beautifully manipulated by an athletic stage manager you would be forgiven for wondering how this piece has any bearing on the original Chekov classic Uncle Vanya. Yet it does. The women are removed and we are left with a distilled version in which the men voice their hopes, dreams, desires and dissatisfaction with life.
Cards are played, vodka is drunk, tea is taken and time passes in an utterly engrossing way. The stamina of the cast is to be applauded and whilst there is much comedy all the right shades of grey are also evident in their interactions.
This is indeed Vanya remixed but could be a touch confusing for anyone without an idea of the context.