Uncle Vanya, Almeida

It's not often one leaves Uncle Vanya suffering the after-effects of an erotic surge. Actually, it's not ever. Except tonight after Robert Icke's lively adaptation of Uncle Vanya, where the usual kiss between Elena and Dr Astrov morphs into a frenzied lunge from first to fourth base, and it's the audience that's having the vapours. This is mainly because Tobias Menzies as Michael (Astrov) is sizzlingly hot - even the men were saying so in the interval. As Elena, Vanessa Kirby charms with her lustrous speaking voice and earthy manner. But enough already, as they say in Ekatrinberg or wherever Uncle Vanya is set.

Uncle Vanya is of course the story of the hard working but ineffectual Uncle Vanya - John - who in this rendition is played sweetly and movingly by Paul Rhys. Rhys embodies a man who could have had so much more in life if only he had been able to break free. Yoked, middle-aged, and weary, he gazes longingly at the young Elena, brought to the estate by its owner, The Professor.  The Professor has the title to the estate through his first wife, John's dead sister. He wants to sell, leaving John, his mother, and family retainers, homeless. His announcement brings emotions in the house to a head...

I am not a great fan of Chekhov but always forget this until the the second act, by which point the unremitting ennui of estate life and the merciless handwringing of the Russian gentry has me muttering 'Lenin will live'. En route to the theatre after a long day, I vowed to leave the minute it got dull: the show is 3.5 hours with three intervals. But... it was never dull despite having one of the worst sets ever, constructed like a giant four poster bed, with the cast acting on the slats. Worse: for a pretty static play, it revolved. Every minute there was a column in the way, or a set of backs.  The lighting is beautiful but low. You only saw faces clearly when the cast spoke directly to the audience. It is in preview. This will all be tweaked.

In conclusion: Icke's Uncle Vanya is a mix of mannered, melodramatic, and magical. The first acts feel disconnected, but the joins repair across the evening and there are some unforgettable scenes. These include John, Michael, and their friend Cartwright, dancing drunkenly to Jean Genie, and John's despairing disintegration as both dreams and reality are dashed.   

References

Almeida Theatre, Uncle Vanya, Tickets

Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, London N1.  Run ends 26 March.