Sunday, July 07, 2024

Vanya, Andrew Scott, National Theatre Live

 This was a new translation and adaptation of Chekov's bougie masterpiece, presented by the National Theatre (UK) and distributed as a film to places far and wide. Two things stand out in the text:


1. The matter of the gun.

The gun did not appear in Act 1, and when it appeared (as expected) in Act 4 it was a double-barreled shotgun, not a revolver, and not in Vanya's hands, but in his brother's. The brother shoots both barrels at Vanya, and says "Missed! ... Twice!" rather than " ... Again!". Vanya's less incompetent than Uncle Vanya, and that joke is lost.

2. This rendering of one of the metaphysical issues, again Act 4:

"Can you imagine if it was possible to completely change the way you live your life? To look at your life and ask yourself what you would do if it died. If your old life died. It ended. And then take what's left of your real life and live it properly. How can I do that, Michael? Where do I start?"

This is quoted at https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/vanya-9781350443419/ as an example of how good the translation is, and it's by far the best expression in the play. So no, I didn't commit it to memory or write it down during the performance. But it's exactly the bit that caught my ear and the web copywriter's, so that's a confirmation.

There are revolutions we may undergo as individuals, and there are revolutions we may undergo collectively. Chekov, in 1897, was already ready for his imaginary bourgeoisie to undergo fundamental change, and that has not been lost. Joke or not.

Now the performance: you may recognize Andrew Scott as an actor. His portrayal of all the characters as distinct, in gesture, voice, and movement, is remarkable. So I'm remarking on it.

If you get the chance to see it, you should.

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# posted by anwaya : 2:14 PM
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