The Seagull: Cate Blanchett leads 'powerhouse ensemble' in Chekhov classic
Modern reboot has blown away the dust from 1895 drama

"It is all too easy to be cynical when movie stars turn to theatre," said Houman Barekat in The New York Times, especially as some have not proved very good at it.
Cate Blanchett, however, is a stage veteran; and in Thomas Ostermeier's "ingenious" production of Chekhov's "The Seagull" – a new version adapted by Ostermeier and playwright Duncan Macmillan – she dazzles as Irina Arkádina, the vain, attention-seeking actress, said Sarah Hemming in the Financial Times. Blanchett tap dances, and at one point even does the splits, as she "mischievously splices her own fame with that of her character".
As promised, Ostermeier and Macmillan have blown away the dust surrounding the 1895 drama, said Sarah Crompton on What's on Stage. Characters are in modern dress; they vape and swear; one arrives on stage on a quad bike and performs a Billy Bragg song, which he dedicates to Ostermeier. But the most surprising thing about the evening is "just how serious and sensitive it is in unpicking both the comic and tragic notes in Chekhov's study of a group of unhappy, arty, self-obsessed people who can't make any sense of their lives in a time of crisis". It "deliberately circles issues of artifice and reality, of true feelings and performance, of the very purpose of art, enfolding the audience in its examination".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Blanchett "may be the glitteriest" casting, as the actress who finds her real self impossible to face, but she is part of a "powerhouse ensemble" that ultimately "outshines her in intensity", said Arifa Akbar in The Guardian: Emma Corrin as actress Nina Zaréchnaya, Tom Burke as writer Alexander Trigorin, and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Arkádina's son all excel.
Yet for those of us who don't love Ostermeier's style, it proved a long night, said Clive Davis in The Times. The German director's "battery of well-worn devices" – microphones, actors breaking the fourth wall – are all present and correct.
And over three hours, his "terror of being conventional" does become pretty wearisome, said Robert Gore-Langton in The Mail on Sunday. By the bitter end, this Seagull has "become a half-dead parrot. Albeit one with a dream cast."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
‘How can I know these words originated in their heart and not some data center in northern Virginia?’
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Can Trump deliver a farmer bailout in time?
Today's Big Question Planting decisions and food prices hang in the balance
-
Tips for seizing control of your digital well-being
The Week Recommends A handy mix of technology and self-motivation
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelago
The Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
Diane Keaton: the Oscar-winning star of Annie Hall
In the Spotlight Something’s Gotta Give actor dies from pneumonia at the age of 79
-
Heirs and Graces: an ‘enthralling’ deep dive into the decline of nobility
The Week Recommends Eleanor Doughty explores the ‘bizarre fascination’ with the British aristocracy
-
6 sporty homes with tennis courts
Feature Featuring a clay tennis court in New York and a viewing deck in California
-
Critics’ choice: Seafood in the spotlight
Feature An experimental chef, a newspaper-worthy newcomer, and a dining titan’s fresh spin-off
-
Taylor Swift’s Showgirl: Much glitter, little gold
Feature Swift’s new album has broken records, but critics say she may have gotten herself creatively stuck
-
Theater review: Masquerade
218 W. 57th St., New York City 218 W. 57th St., New York City
-
Film reviews: Roofman and Kiss of the Spider Woman
Feature An escaped felon’s heart threatens to give him away and a prisoner escapes into daydreams of J.Lo.