Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
★★★☆☆ Stately
St Ninian’s Hall (Venue 230): Mon 5 – Sat 17 Aug 2024
Review by Hugh Simpson
Edinburgh Theatre Arts’ Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at St Ninian’s is a careful, intelligent production that is not always as funny as it might be.
Siblings Vanya (Danny Farrimond) and Sonia (Janey Grant) are whiling away the years at their house in rural Pennsylvania, complete with its cherry trees. Their sister Masha (Edith Peers) may be a successful actor, but Vanya and Sonia feel it is now too late to go back on their unfortunate life choices.
Edith Peers, Caitlin Christmas, Danny Farrimond and Janey Grant. Pic Ruairidh Hastie
If this seems recognisable, it’s meant to be – there are constant references to Chekhov in Christopher Durang’s play (first staged in 2012 and winning the Best Play Tony award). It is stated early on, for example, that the characters were named after his characters by literature-loving academic parents.
You don’t need to know Chekhov’s gun from Chekov’s phaser to appreciate the play, although it probably does help; for example, Finlay Black’s set will make you smile before the play even begins if you can spot some of the in-jokes.
The play is less a parody or a retread of Chekhov than a distillation of some of his themes, given a distinctly modern twist with its settings and preoccupations – such as the drawbacks of social media, or what to do if you fail your audition for Entourage 2.
absurd humour
Chekhov devotees will tell you that Western productions don’t do justice to the jokes. This may be the problem here as well. There is a great deal of absurd humour, as was often the case with Durang (who died earlier this year). Unfortunately, it doesn’t always land.
Farrimond, Grant and Peers spend a great deal of time getting their characterisations (and accents) spot on, but the end result is almost stately; certainly too slow-moving for many of the one-liners to zing. Vanya’s climactic meltdown about modern life is just too civilised, and the other characters’ reactions to it too lacking in variety, for it to have the maximum impact.
Edith Peers, Georgie Purvis, Ed DeRuiter , aney Grant and Danny Farrimond. Pic Ruairidh Hastie
All three siblings are played with delicacy and believability, however. The other performers perhaps have an easier time, as their characters are more like grotesques, and can lean into the comedy more easily.
Caitlin Christmas’s prophecy-spouting house cleaner Cassandra and Georgie Purvis’s would-be performer Nina are both well judged and humorous. Edward DeRuiter’s Spike, channelling Keanu Reeves from Bill and Ted but also always very keen to start stripping off, is very funny indeed.
Ian Cunningham’s sound and lighting design are very accomplished and Colin McPherson’s direction is always considered. However, the production could do with an injection of just a little more pace and energy.
Running time: Two hours and 25 minutes (including one interval)
St Ninian’s Hall, 40 Comely Bank, EH4 1AG (Venue 230)
Monday 5 – Saturday 17 August 2024 (not Sun 11)
Mon – Fri at 7.30 pm; Sat at 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm
Details and tickets: Book here
Website: www.edinburghtheatrearts.com/
Facebook: @edinburghtheatrearts
Instagram: @edinburgh_theatre_arts
X: @EdinTheatArts
ENDS
