In updating Anton Chekhov’s tragi-comic classic to modern Scotland, there was of course only one social revolution fundamental enough to match the Russian abolition of serfdom that was the catalyst of the original, and that’s Thatcher’s Conservative revolution of 1979. No stranger to Scottish translations of Chekhov after 2004’s Uncle Varick, John-Slab Boys-Byrne places the (in)action during the aftermath of the Winter of Discontent in the run-up to Thatcher’s election victory. It’s doubtful the timing is a coincidence.

Byrne’s decision to replace the rise of the middle class with the rise of individualistic free market enterprise is a success

Mrs Ramsay-Mackay (Maureen Beattie) and her brother Guy (Philip Bird) return to their family estate in northeast Scotland. With the property heading for auction, local man Malcolm (Andy Clark) tries in vain to get them to build a lavish hotel in order to earn back the land, but the family is not ready for the approaching cut-throat world. Meanwhile, family-friend and perpetual dropout Trotsky (Matthew Pidgeon), shows up, spouting incisive Marxist rhetoric much to the chagrin of the business-minded Malcolm.

Retaining the structure and characters of Chekhov’s original, as well as the finely balanced mixture of comedy and pathos, Byrne’s decision to replace the rise of the middle class with the rise of individualistic free market enterprise is a success. Together with director Tony Cownie, Byrne captures the magnitude of the shifting social landscape through the microcosm of familial relationships that are every bit as expertly detailed as their Russian counterparts. Standout performances include Clark’s Thatcher-kid prototype, particularly during his delirious meltdown near the end, and Grant O’Rourke as family-friend Sorley Shanks, undoubtedly the funniest character you’ll see on the stage all year. Clad in platform shoes, tartan flares and a biker mustache, O’Rourke delivers some top-notch slapstick but, like the play itself, has an undercurrent of something altogether more tender and sad. With Malcolm’s bidding victory arriving on the very same night of Thatcher’s election triumph, the metaphor might not be subtle, but its timeliness is affecting nonetheless.

Showing @Royal Lyceum until Sat 8 May 19:45

Running time 2 hours 30 mins with interval.