THE SEAGULL
Written by Anton Chekhov
Satirikon Arkady Raikin Russian State Theatre
Stage Russia HD (Satirikon Theatre): Anton Chekhov’s first of four major plays dramatizes the romantic and artistic conflicts between its four main characters: Boris Trigorin, a well-known writer, the ingenue Nina, the fading actress Irina Arkadina, and her son the would-be playwright Konstantin Tréplev. Yury Butusov's frenetic production abounds in an incredible freedom and openness, delving deep into the throes of artistic creation and the anguish of the artist who struggles to find a language of his own. This is not only a performance about the theatre, it is an anthology of the theatre that devours its children like monsters. With the shuffling of actors' roles, you begin to sense something of a quadraphonic portrait of the creative personality, which demonstrates that greatness is precariously close to mediocrity while suggesting that the opposite is also true. Chekhov's characters are in the process of creating their lives or watching them fall apart, which, according to Butusov, may be a closely related activity.
"A mesmerizing, unforgettable experience" – britishtheatre.com
“Transcendent" – The Theatre Times
"A revelation" – woddisreviews.org.uk
“Extraordinary” – The Moscow Times
DCP, Blu Ray, LANsat, Eclair Digital
Language: Russian
Translation: English subtitles
Running time: 3 hours 27 minutes
Creative Team
Director: Yury Butusov
Set design: Alexander Shishkin
Music: Faustas Latenas
Lighting Designer: Anatoly Kuznecov
Sound: Ekaterina Pavlova, Dariya Kascheeva
Stage manager: Angelika Ramazanova
Cast
Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplev - Timofey Tribuntsev
Nina Zarechnaya - Agrippina Steklova
Irina Nikolaevna Arkadina - Polina Raykina
Petr Nikolaevich Sorin - Vladimir Bolshov
Ilya Afanasyevich Shamraev - Anton Kuznetcov
Polina Andreevn - Lika Nifontova
Masha - Maryana Spivak
Boris Alekseevich Trigorin - Denis Sukhanov
Evgeniy Sergeevich Dorn - Artem Osipov
Semen Semenovich Medvedenko - Anton Kuznetsov
Dancing girl - Marina Drovosekova
Yakov - Sergey Bubnov
Treplev's monologue in Act 4 - Yury Butusov
PRESS
Бутусов. Санкт-Петербург. Театр, thereklama.com
«Чайка» Бутусова пересечет океан, teatral-online.ru
Butusov Looks at Art in Extraordinary "Seagull", John Freedman, The Moscow Times
After the Anger, Rob Weinert-Kendt, American Theatre
The Seagull, Golden Mask Festival
The Seagull, Theatrekritik
Russian Theater Goes Abroad, Michele A. Berdy, The Moscow Times
Russian Theatre On Screen: Yury Butusov's "The Seagull", The Theatre Times
The Seagull – Stage Russia, Carole Woddis, woddisreviews.org.uk