In recent times, modern venues like the Beckett, Project Arts and Abbey Theatre have designed their seating rigs to accommodate the punters without the money for a front-row seat, so that even in the furthest flung corner of the auditorium one has a full view of the stage below. Older venues like the Gaiety, however, still have to manage with a Victorian style seating plan, complete with partial view seats blocked by pillars and an upper circle so far above the stalls it nearly scratches the ceiling. This upper circle was where I sat for Corn Exchange’s The Seagull.
It did not feel so much like watching The Seagull as watching everyone below us watch The Seagull. The performers either forgot we were there or chose to ignore us. Actors’ asides were directed at the rows directly ahead of them rather than those above. One feels that no consideration was given for the Gaiety’s awkward seating during the rehearsal process, which leaves a considerable bulk of the audience somewhat alienated from proceedings.
Audience-performer relations aside, Annie Ryan’s reworking of Chekhov’s most iconic play has flashes of brilliance when it all comes together. This modern translation sees Constance (Jane McGrath) the aspiring writer locked in constant battle with her famous mother (Derbhle Crotty) and ex-girlfriend Nina (Genevieve Hulme-Beaman) on an isolated Irish estate. Her depression, which is expressed through violent outbursts, resonates with the problems facing Irish youth today – dependence on parents for financial support, lack of opportunities, and the very topical struggle of the female artist.
Rather than a superficial despair, Constance’s downward spiral feels genuinely tragic, like she is a victim of circumstance and not just a self-centred narcissist. This insightful drawing of parallels between the play and its new setting is let down at times by the translation, which constantly switches from colloquial to clunky. Michael West’s script suits the older generation who often play it for laughs better than the melancholy millennials such as Constance, Nina and Masha (Imogen Doel).
Ultimately, it feels like The Seagull doesn’t quite come together as a unified whole. It doesn’t fully make the transition to a contemporary setting and is perhaps a bit too reliant on its source material. A valiant effort, but needs more work – and a better venue.
The Seagull is running until October 16th.
