Showing @ Tron Theatre, Glasgow until Sat 18 Oct @ 19:45
1960’s Dunoon is a dark and intriguing place. It is filled with beguiling characters, mysterious locales and forlorn tales of love and loss. Artist John Byrne has his fingerprints all over this imagining of the classic Chekhov play. As the audience takes their seats it is impossible not to notice his evocative and moody set design which present the tone of the performance and grabs the attention. This attention is held by Byrne’s bold script which is delivered by the talented ensemble cast who move the story forward with witty dialogue and impassioned performances.
The story may be familiar to some, but the social context and conflict in the original Chekhov play is given a new Scottish setting in the naval base of Dunoon and this breathes new life into the classic tale. The three sisters long for London but find themselves marooned in the Penhalligan family home which overlooks the River Clyde Estuary and the bustling naval base. Renee (Jessica Hardwick), Olive (Muireann Kelly) and Maddy (Sally Reid) are the three flame haired sisters that find themselves in and out of love while pursuing dreams and aspirations. Their dreams are the driving force of the story while their male counterparts such as brother Archie (Jonathan Watson) and Dr MacGillivery (Sylvester McCoy) seem to have given up hope for the future and are happy in their lot.
The second act bursts not life when we quickly realise that Dunoon is burning in a haze of smoke. This changes the pace of the performance and gives the play a feeling of immediacy which was absent in the first act. Tragedy was very much apparent in the Chekhov original and Byrne has not avoided this. As the performance reaches its conclusion the sisters learn their fate and the raw emotion on stage is fitting, powerful and passionate. The performances by the lead actresses and the evocative stage design ensure that this imagining of the Three Sisters is memorable, witty and touching.