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Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English, University of Sydney

Chekhov called The Seagull 'a comedy'. The Sydney Theatre Company seems to forget it was a tragedy, too

Sydney Theatre Company the Sydney Theatre Company Anton Chekhov Prudence Upton Andrew Upton
Prudence Upton/Sydney Theatre Company

What is comedy?

This is the question I kept coming back to while watching Andrew Upton’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, which opened to warm applause – and a touch of controversy – at the Sydney Theatre Company on Saturday.

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