The works of Anton Chekhov are always challenging even for the most erudite of theatregoers. Whilst his place in the pantheon of playwrights is assured he might be considered heavy going for some. I happily sighed with relief when an adaptation dropped invitingly through my inbox. A re-worked version of ‘Three Sisters’ is just the job for a long-overdue visit to the Hope Theatre in Islington. Based in the Hope & Anchor pub it was the complete entertainment venue pre-Covid; live bands playing in the basement, an excellent bar at street level and the theatre upstairs presenting some of the coolest plays on the fringe circuit. Like all theatre venues it’s beginning to find its feet again and a reassuring sign that normality is close at hand.
For the uninitiated, a brief cantor through the author’s work might be helpful. Anton Chekhov is now widely recognised as one of the great playwrights but was only properly appreciated after his premature death in 1904. His most notable works include the Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya and Three Sisters which was first performed in 1901. Three Sisters tells the tale of siblings Olga, Masha and Irina. They live in a remote Russian town but dream of returning home to Moscow where they felt true happiness.
