The Cherry Orchard ★★★ Harold Pinter Theatre | Oct 3, 2026 - Jan 9, 2027

Written in 1903 and first performed in 1904, the year of Chekhov’s death, The Cherry Orchard is the Russian dramatist’s last major work. Described by its author as a comedy, it reflects on the end of an era. In the wake of the emancipation of the serfs in 1861, the play anticipates the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the even more cataclysmic events of 1917. At its heart is a social commentary on the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of a new middle class. The mood combines nostalgia for the past with apprehension about the inevitability of change. The clash between the old world and the emerging order is embodied by the impoverished Lyubov Ranevskaya (Kristin Scott Thomas), who returns from Paris to her Russian estate, and Yermolai Lopakhin (Stephen Mangan), a successful merchant whose family were once serfs on the Ranevskaya land. Far from being hostile to the family, Lopakhin wants to help them adapt to changing circumstances, even as Lyubov indulges in unaffordable displays of noblesse oblige. These two characters represent opposing values, while those around them illustrate different responses to a world in which the beauty of the cherry orchard and the traditions it represents are under threat. One of the major challenges in staging a work that lacks a conventional plot and unfolds largely through character studies is to ensure that its protagonists do not become mere embodiments of ideas. Chekhov’s emphasis on atmosphere rather than plot, together with the play’s rich symbolism, makes it all the more imperative that the characters should feel fully human. Here, however, that crucial connection is never entirely established. The family members and their individual struggles fail to engage, leaving us distanced from their predicament. The production also sits uneasily between Chekhov’s turn-of-the-century Russia and 2026. Characters wear polo shirts, loafers and modern glasses, while Lopakhin declares that he accepts his status as a peasant who can barely read. The ubiquitous ‘f’ word and a wide variety of accents further confuse our sense of time and place. In this curious world, characters are ‘pissed off’ and wear wristwatches, yet entertain themselves with billiards and party games. The result is neither Chekhov’s Russia nor a recognisably contemporary setting, and this temporal confusion, combined with the failure to establish a convincing dramatic world, leaves the audience disconnected from the characters. Although there are moments of humour and wistfulness, this production never bridges that emotional distance and the overall effect is rather flat. The threatened destruction of the orchard should resonate as both a personal loss and the passing of an era. Here, however, it remains an idea rather than a felt loss. We witness the end of a world without ever quite feeling its demise.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.

Photo by Johan Persson

When, Where, Getting there:

• Oct 3, 2026 - Jan 9, 2027
• Mon - Sat: 7:30 pm, Wed & Sat: 2:30 pm
• Harold Pinter Theatre
• Nearest tube: Piccadilly Circus
• https://www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk/shows/the-cherry-orchard