Uncle Vanya – Bristol Old Vic

Bristol Old Vic’s RYTDS Associate Artistic Director Rikki Henry brings a thrilling new vision to Chekhov’s tragi-comic masterpiece Uncle Vanya, in an English version by David Lan and in co-production with Stratford East.

“I’ve let my life slip away when all these years I could have had everything – which now I can’t because I’m forty-seven!”

Relocated to a rundown office: dripping water cooler, towering filing cabinets and reams upon reams of paper. Time stands still. Windows 95 chimes. The phone rings, and rings, and rings.

In the midst of a midlife crisis, Vanya, his dedicated niece Sonya and the local doctor Astrov are visited by Alexander, the widower of Vanya’s late sister and Sonya’s father, and his glamorous new wife Yelena. Vanya has spent years financing their lavish city lifestyle, only for Alexander to arrive with the surprise declaration that he intends to sell the business.

While Vanya and Astrov appear to fall under Yelena’s charms, Sonya is less convinced. Polite facades quickly crumble and long-repressed, vodka-fuelled confessions of love have devastating consequences.

Bristol Old Vic Associate Artistic Director Rikki Henry’s wonderfully creative concept won plaudits at Theater Dortmund in 2023. Now, in an entirely new English language production and using David Lan’s “notably sharp, bright translation” (The Times), Chekhov’s classic is brought to darkly witty life once more.

Are we all condemned to live the lives we started, or is fundamental change possible?