Vanya - Andrew Scott one-man show - Richmond & Duke of Yorks

[Being Alive]

Oh I thought this was riveting tonight.

I think this is going to divide people - if you don't know Vanya at all, this is going to be a slog, but I'd argue that's true of a lot of one person versions of meaty plays.
Within 10 minutes I was completely in, and my mind was fully focused for the next hour and and 40, and that's a key thing with this.
You have to concentrate. If you let your mind wander, you will have lost where Scott is, who he is, and where we are and it'll be almost impossible to get back in. It's a test, for both actor and audience, and I loved that.

I'd watch Andrew Scott read the phone book, and he is brilliantly captivating here. A lot of the things he did got laughs where there aren't any (and I truly believe that's because half the audience had no idea what was happening), but the half that knew, loved it.

For a dress rehearsal, it's in really good shape. It'll tighten up and Scott will get more comfortable as it goes along because it's MAMMOTH, but an easy 4 stars for me.

[rumtom]

Aug 26, 2023 22:23:20 GMT Being Alive said:

Oh I thought this was riveting tonight.

I think this is going to divide people - if you don't know Vanya at all, this is going to be a slog, but I'd argue that's true of a lot of one person versions of meaty plays.
Within 10 minutes I was completely in, and my mind was fully focused for the next hour and and 40, and that's a key thing with this.
You have to concentrate. If you let your mind wander, you will have lost where Scott is, who he is, and where we are and it'll be almost impossible to get back in. It's a test, for both actor and audience, and I loved that.

I'd watch Andrew Scott read the phone book, and he is brilliantly captivating here. A lot of the things he did got laughs where there aren't any (and I truly believe that's because half the audience had no idea what was happening), but the half that knew, loved it.

For a dress rehearsal, it's in really good shape. It'll tighten up and Scott will get more comfortable as it goes along because it's MAMMOTH, but an easy 4 stars for me.

I'm glad you enjoyed it and as you say, Scott is excellent and will only get better, but it wasn't a lack of knowing Uncle Vanya that did it for me. I am a big fan of Chekhov but I thought that was probably the problem. I love a meaty play and that's what I wanted but this, for me, didn't have that at all. There was no depth and although it was an enjoyable play, it didn't captivate me. I did enjoy following which characters he was but I'm sure this will continue to improve.

[mkb]

I'm a fan of Uncle Vanya, have enjoyed some of Simon Stephens' previous work, and rated Andrew Scott very highly in Hamlet, Present Laughter and Design for Living. I expected tonight to be event theatre that I'd talk about for years.

It's more in sorrow than anger that I found myself absolutely loathing Vanya. The clue was there in the programme, with its letter As pretentiously rendered as upside-down Vs, i.e. without the crossbar. The show was stupefyingly dull. Two hours felt like four. No wonder they were too cowardly to allow us a toilet break; many would never have returned.

The incessant giggling at things not remotely funny from an excitable and predominantly female audience -- presumably Scott's fanclub -- did not help.

The piece is unbelievably self-indulgent. I don't think there is much to enjoy here for Chekhov fans. This is solely for Scott groupies. If you'd enjoy watching an actor rehearse a range of Irish caricatures and some stereotypes -- often not being sure which one he's currently doing -- then you might get something out of this. I didn't.

One star.

19:34-21:25

[rumtom]

Aug 28, 2023 22:12:11 GMT mkb said:

I'm a fan of Uncle Vanya, have enjoyed some of Simon Stephens' previous work, and rated Andrew Scott very highly in Hamlet, Present Laughter and Design for Living. I expected tonight to be event theatre that I'd talk about for years.

It's more in sorrow than anger that I found myself absolutely loathing Vanya. The clue was there in the programme, with its letter As pretentiously rendered as upside-down Vs, i.e. without the crossbar. The show was stupefyingly dull. Two hours felt like four. No wonder they were too cowardly to allow us a toilet break; many would never have returned.

The incessant giggling at things not remotely funny from an excitable and predominantly female audience -- presumably Scott's fanclub -- did not help.

The piece is unbelievably self-indulgent. I don't think there is much to enjoy here for Chekhov fans. This is solely for Scott groupies. If you'd enjoy watching an actor rehearse a range of Irish caricatures and some stereotypes -- often not being sure which one he's currently doing -- then you might get something out of this. I didn't.

One star.

19:34-21:25

Do you think it's recoverable? I thought there was still potential but needs a few changes to make it a success, in my opinion.

What did you make of the sound effects??

[c4ndyc4ne]

Aug 28, 2023 22:12:11 GMT mkb said:

I'm a fan of Uncle Vanya, have enjoyed some of Simon Stephens' previous work, and rated Andrew Scott very highly in Hamlet, Present Laughter and Design for Living. I expected tonight to be event theatre that I'd talk about for years.

It's more in sorrow than anger that I found myself absolutely loathing Vanya. The clue was there in the programme, with its letter As pretentiously rendered as upside-down Vs, i.e. without the crossbar. The show was stupefyingly dull. Two hours felt like four. No wonder they were too cowardly to allow us a toilet break; many would never have returned.

The incessant giggling at things not remotely funny from an excitable and predominantly female audience -- presumably Scott's fanclub -- did not help.

The piece is unbelievably self-indulgent. I don't think there is much to enjoy here for Chekhov fans. This is solely for Scott groupies. If you'd enjoy watching an actor rehearse a range of Irish caricatures and some stereotypes -- often not being sure which one he's currently doing -- then you might get something out of this. I didn't.

One star.

19:34-21:25

getting the sense that this one is going to be divisive! time for a poll? 

[Being Alive]

I do get why people didn't like this (and I rather simplistically said it won't appear to people who don't know Vanya - that's not true, I can see why this will not be some peoples cup of tea) but would argue it's too early to add a star as we saw a dress rehearsal (and this won't be put in front of a paying audience til Thursday)

[TallPaul]

There is a poll all ready to roll. In the circumstances, BurlyBeaR and I will wait until Thursday.

[lynette]

Are the dress rehearsal tix to try it out? So they may make a few changes. Reading the comments above, ‘you have to concentrate’ and ‘hard work’ I think not for me. Uncle Vanya is a peach of a play though

[BurlyBeaR]

Aug 29, 2023 17:03:27 GMT TallPaul said:

There is a poll all ready to roll. In the circumstances, BurlyBeaR and I will wait until Thursday.

Over to you! 🤓

[mkb]

Aug 29, 2023 16:57:02 GMT Being Alive said:

I do get why people didn't like this (and I rather simplistically said it won't appear to people who don't know Vanya - that's not true, I can see why this will not be some peoples cup of tea) but would argue it's too early to add a star as we saw a dress rehearsal (and this won't be put in front of a paying audience til Thursday)

What's this about a dress rehearsal? I understood I attended a preview last night. It was definitely a paying audience. Wasn't Saturday night the dress?

[mkb]

Aug 29, 2023 15:59:04 GMT rumtom said:

Do you think it's recoverable? I thought there was still potential but needs a few changes to make it a success, in my opinion.

What did you make of the sound effects??

They have enough of an audience, it doesn't matter. It's already a commercial success.

The sound effects were fine apart from the prolonged one in the last 15 minutes which I initially thought was someone's phone ringtone. That was too quiet to serve any purpose and became irritating.

[Being Alive]

OH! I've fundamentally misunderstood that this is at a paying audience now - I didn't think it was til Thursday!

Sorry!

[mrbarnaby]

The whole enterprise sounds self indulgent. I shall be avoiding happily.

[foxa]

Oh no - I am bringing someone to see it tonight. And definitely paid.

I've seen Andrew Scott on stage quite a few times and he's never been bad, so thought this was a pretty safe bet.

[mkb]

Aug 30, 2023 9:13:06 GMT foxa said:

Oh no - I am bringing someone to see it tonight. And definitely paid.

I've seen Andrew Scott on stage quite a few times and he's never been bad, so thought this was a pretty safe bet.

It's one of those marmite things. Plenty present applauded rapturously, so there's every chance you'll like it.

[Fleance]

Jun 10, 2023 0:59:21 GMT sph said:

So... having never seen one of these types of shows, how does it work. Do they actually play every character in the play? Jumping between voices/mannerisms etc?

I've seen one-person shows, but only when they were written to be for one person. If it's clearly supposed to be a number of characters played by a full cast like Macbeth for example I think I'd find myself just sitting there wishing I was watching a full production.

A brilliant example of a one-person, multi-character show is Miriam Margolyes' Dickens' Women.

[theatrescribe]

The best one-person shows I've seen have been from Kathryn Hunter - but then she is an actual shapeshifter and can seemingly physically change into anyone!

[Steve]

Aug 28, 2023 22:12:11 GMT mkb said:

I don't think there is much to enjoy here for Chekhov fans. This is solely for Scott groupies

Chekhov hat off, Andrew Scott groupie hat on.

[Jan]

Aug 30, 2023 16:25:20 GMT theatrescribe said:

The best one-person shows I've seen have been from Kathryn Hunter - but then she is an actual shapeshifter and can seemingly physically change into anyone!

You should put that in its own thread, it is an interesting question. I generally avoid them but decent ones were Ben Kingsley in Edmund Kean (1983),  Alec McCowen in Kipling (1984) and Michael Pennington in Anton Chekhov (1984), and the best I've seen Roy Dotrice in Brief Lives (1967-2008)  but of course there have been more notable multi-character ones like John Sessions in The Life of Napoleon (mid-1980s) and both Alan Cumming (2012) and Stephen Dillane (2005) as Macbeth. 

[Steve]

I saw this tonight, and since most of the characters in this play are essentially muted and unhappy, there isn't the typical variety in character types and attitudes that allow a one person show to thrive.

On the other hand, Andrew Scott is typically mesmerising, and creates many entrancing moments, though, for me, they do not add up to a satisfactory whole.

Some spoilers follow. . .

I always liked the line that Chekhov wrote about Vanya feeling like he could have been Schopenhauer in another life. Since Schopenhauer is the leading philosopher of misery and striving (and trying to understand the misery and striving of human existence), it demonstrates that deep down Vanya doesn't equate success with happiness, but simply getting to grips with misery lol.

Simon Stephens changes the line, modernising Alexander, the usurping family patriarch, into a successful filmmaker rather than a writer, and Vanya becomes instead a wannabe "Bresson or Ozu," two ascetic filmmakers who want to understand humanity, for sure, but more by way of stylistics than content.

Despite this, it is still Schopenhauer's philosophy of endless human striving that underpins all the characters, and when you've got Scott trying to play the truth of the striving misery of every character, they inevitably bleed into each other.

To distinguish them, Stephens ends up having to end almost every line and address with the name of the character that follows, and this feels tedious.

If you are unfamiliar with the play, it is likely you will not understand the story at all, and will consume the play as a typical Stephens play about alienation, in which you just focus on individual scenes, and compare and contrast them, losing the overall thrust of the plot.

If you are familiar with the play, you will wish you could have seen Scott's emotional vulnerable Vanya playing off other actors, rather than wrapping the ennui of all the other characters into one indivisible morass of misery.

You could argue that the revelation of this production is that we are all essentially the same, but that is inherently undramatic.

There are many mesmerising moments, such as when Scott sings, and when Scott plays "Chopsticks," and when Scott breaks down in tears. But, for me, the project is a noble failure such as you would expect in the life of any true artist, boldly trying to mix things up and not repeat themselves. If the result is the very striving disappointment that Schopenhauer's philosophy predicts for all of us, that's pretty Chekhovian, when it comes down to it.

2 and a half stars from me.

[rumbledoll]

Aug 30, 2023 17:35:57 GMT Jan said:

Aug 30, 2023 16:25:20 GMT theatrescribe said:

The best one-person shows I've seen have been from Kathryn Hunter - but then she is an actual shapeshifter and can seemingly physically change into anyone!

You should put that in its own thread, it is an interesting question. I generally avoid them but decent ones were Ben Kingsley in Edmund Kean (1983),  Alec McCowen in Kipling (1984) and Michael Pennington in Anton Chekhov (1984), and the best I've seen Roy Dotrice in Brief Lives (1967-2008)  but of course there have been more notable multi-character ones like John Sessions in The Life of Napoleon (mid-1980s) and both Alan Cumming (2012) and Stephen Dillane (2005) as Macbeth. 

Misterman with Cillian Murphy was splendid!

[mkb]

Aug 31, 2023 6:46:27 GMT rumbledoll said:

Misterman with Cillian Murphy was splendid!

I intensely disliked that one too, but I was a lone voice.

It's an interesting comparison. Both shows feature(d) a big-name star who it was clear many in the audience were in awe of. My sense at both was that there was a very enthusiastic response from half the audience and polite applause from the rest.

[foxa]

A big 'why?' hangs over this production. So much of the appeal of Chekhov is in the small meaningful exchanges between the characters which a solo performer, no matter how talented, just can't convey. The scenes that worked best were some of the duologues where trying to figure out who is who and the use of names was less distracting. I liked the updating of Alexander to the film director and the discussion of finances. Also there was some clever use of the door for theatrical flourishes, with Scott exiting as one character and entering as another or interrupting himself.

I love Andrew Scott and have seen him on stage in Dying City, Present Laughter, Hamlet and Sea Wall. This was the first time when I felt he was struggling and even his enormous charisma couldn't entirely save the day. (Though with someone less talented it would have been unbearable.) Some sections felt sketched in and may well grow later in the run.

Above someone mentioned disruptive laughter, but I wasn't aware of that last night. Partial standing ovation at end.

I think Steve sums up the problems with this play well and agree with his star rating - I suspect it will remain a 'noble failure.' Two pluses from the evening, my companion said she now wants to read Uncle Vanya (she also said 'Justice for Sonya!') and it was good to see the Richmond Theatre looking in good nick and packed. I bet they were sad there wasn't an interval as they would have made a killing at the bar. We had a good pre-theatre meal at Franca Manca.

[mkb]

Aug 31, 2023 11:43:52 GMT foxa said:

... and it was good to see the Richmond Theatre looking in good nick and packed. I bet they were sad there wasn't an interval as they would have made a killing at the bar. We had a good pre-theatre meal at Franca Manca.

Agreed. They are keeping the bars and the Ambassador Lounge open afterwards, and we stayed for a glass of wine, but hardly anyone else did.

[n1david]

For anyone who wants a refresher of a traditional Uncle Vanya, BBC4 are repeating the Toby Jones production on Sunday night at 9.30pm