Druid’s Cherry Orchard – a fruitful affair for actor Rory
Arts Week with Judy Murphy
Druid Theatre is pulling out all the stops for its upcoming production of The Cherry Orchard by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov in an adaptation by the late Tom Murphy.
The play is opening here in Galway on February 27 at the Black Box Theatre, with previews from February 22-25 and runs there until March 7. It’s then transferring to Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin in April – the first time Druid will play the 2,111-seater dockland venue.
On March 5, The Cherry Orchard will be broadcast live from Galway to cinemas throughout Ireland and internationally – details on the non-Irish cinemas have yet to be announced.
It’s week three of rehearsals, which the Galway company is holding in Dublin because most of the cast are based in the capital. Actor Rory Nolan is in upbeat mood as he explains that this is the week when scripts are set aside and crucial decisions are made about the overall direction of the piece.
Druid’s Artistic Director Garry Hynes is at the helm, but there’s plenty of input from the actors too, says Rory, as he describes the process of working on a script from “two behemoths” of the playwriting world.
The Cherry Orchard, which was first staged in 1904, captures a world in which the old aristocratic order, based on landownership and serfdom, is being swept away as society modernises.
The orchard of the title is owned by Madame Ranyevskaya (Derbhle Crotty), and is part of a large estate which is in financial trouble. After five years in Paris, she returns home with the aim of paying off her debts and saving her property.
But to succeed, she needs to change the way she views the world – and this woman, who lives in the past, isn’t able to do that.
Local businessman Lopakhin (Aaron Monaghan), whose family were once serfs on the estate, offers solutions. Madame Ranyevskaya deems these as vulgar, as does her brother Leonid Gayev, who is played by Rory.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.