Rapture Theatre and Mull Theatre, in association with the Tolbooth, are delighted to present Uncle Varick, John Byrne’s contemporary adaptation of Chekov’s classic Uncle Vanya. Read more …
Relocated to 1960’s rural Scotland, Uncle Varick is the moving yet humorous story of what happens when the rock and roll of swinging sixties London collides with the rock and moss of remote Scotland.
It follows Sandy Sheridan, pretentious art critic and self proclaimed cultural icon, who returns from London to his Scottish country pile - with his new, much younger, wife in tow. Waiting for him are his stoical daughter Shona and his acerbic ex-brother in law: Uncle Varick. Add in the handsome local doctor and the not so handsome neighbour and you have a play full of comedy, jealousy, pathos, passion and lust – and not forgetting some very dodgy chain saws.
The joy of [the musical numbers], together with Chisholm’s storming Varick, make this more of a comedy than a melodrama, but the production retains the anguish that Chekhov slipped in behind the laughter.
In the first half there are any number of highly articulate speeches discoursing on life, art criticism, and any other staples of the chattering classes. But just when you begin to wonder how long a longeur can be; or just how deeply flawed your personality had to be to join such a cast of characters, the quality of the play (both original and adaptation) shines through.
A production that exposes all the shallow pretensions of a London set in search of cheap thrills. It's those left behind to pick up the pieces, however, who capture the full tragi-comic pathos of the lifetime of disappointment that fuels the play.
In the end, Chekhov’s final scenes shine through, in all their mighty longing and sadness. That, though, is all about the old magic of fine actors getting to grips with this greatest of plays about human disappointment and loss. All the rest is just window-dressing, whether a century ago, in the 1960s, or today.
I've seen it funnier, sadder and more purposeful, but the performances are very good.
While not quite hitting the mark, the show does have a lot of potential. Perhaps the unconstrained, free thinking world of the Sixties is not the ideal setting for a tragic tale of anguish and disillusionment, despite Uncle Varick’s frequent protestations of love.
This production is both solid and imaginative, providing an excellent cast with a script to really work with and their ensemble acting is never less than highly watchable. Touring until 6th June, ‘Uncle Varick’ offers a very stimulating evening in the theatre.
Political and philosophical musings are woven through the characters soliloquies that both curse and celebrate human nature; the text is funny and Byrne’s voice is clear throughout.
Overall, Uncle Varick seems a good play to watch as an introduction to both John Byrne's work and to Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. It is easy to watch, in spite of its length.
Rapture Theatre's Uncle Varick offers new take on Chekhov classic
John Byrne--Uncle Varick
On Tour, from Monday April 28, 2014, until Friday June 6, 2014.
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