A reimagining of Chekhov’s masterpiece The Cherry Orchard will be performed at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre during October.
The production will be produced by writer Gary Owen and director Rachel O’Riordan known for their work on Iphigenia in Splott and Killology, The Cherry Orchard will be the first major Sherman Theatre produced piece of new writing on the main stage during O’Riordan’s tenure as Artistic Director.
Cast rehearsing for The Cherry Orchard at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre Photo: Brian Tarr Photography
Set in Pembrokeshire in 1982, Owen’s play looks back at recent history to see the world we know today taking root. Like Chekhov’s original, the play is set in a time on the cusp of huge social change. Pre-Revolutionary Russia is exchanged for Britain in the early days of Margaret Thatcher’s regime, an era in which many people were filled with a new confidence, a new energy and a sense that anything was possible.
Cast rehearsing for the reimagining of Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre Picture: Brian Tarr Photography
“Chekhov is one of the great playwrights. His ability to articulate human interaction, with all its flaws and misunderstandings, makes him a natural writer for Gary Owen to adapt,” says director Rachel O’Riordan, “The idea of Gary reimagining The Cherry Orchard was very exciting to me. I have directed two of Gary’s plays before, but we haven’t worked on a more classically structured piece, so I’m really looking forward to continuing my partnership with this wonderful playwright, and looking afresh at one of the great classical plays.”
The cast includes Denise Black as Rainey, Simon Armstrong as Rainey’s brother Gabriel, Morfydd Clark as Anya, Richard Mylan as Ceri, Hedydd Dylan as Valerie, Matthew Bulgo as Lewis and Alexandria Riley as Dottie.
- For ticket information call 029 2064 6900 or visit shermantheatre.co.uk