It is quite something when Caroline Quentin dominates the stage. Quite something, because of the competition. One of the great strengths of this rewarding production – the first to be staged by James Brining since he became artistic director – is its sharp characterisation. Every one of Chekhov’s frustrated figures, variously in search of love, validation and applause, is drawn here in bold lines, clear and precise.
For Quentin to stand out in the role of Irina Arkadina, the egotistical repertory actor slumming it in the country for the summer, means pulling the focus from a richly realised ensemble. When she holds court, centre stage, it is as if she draws Lizzie Powell’s early-autumn lights towards her, glowing in the attention while the rest of the busy household becomes her attentive, obedient audience.
