Martin Crimp’s Version Of "The Seagull" Makes It To The German Stage

The Theatre Times: Many, especially prestigious, new productions of Chekhov’s The Seagull in the UK and USA commission new translations or versions of the play. For example, in 1985, for his West End production, director Charles Sturridge presented the translation by himself and Tania Alexander. The cast included Vanessa Redgrave as Arkadina, her daughter Natasha Richardson as Nina, Jonathan Pryce as Trigorin and John Lynch as Konstantin. Peter Hall used a new version by Tom Stoppard for his 1997 production at the Old Vic, starring Felicity Kendal as Arkadina, Victoria Hamilton as Nina, Michael Pennington as Trigorin and Dominic West as Konstantin. The National Theatre production of 2006, directed by Katie Mitchell, with Juliet Stevenson as Arkadina, Hattie Morahan as Nina, Mark Bazeley as Trigorin and Ben Whishaw as Konstantin, used a version by Martin Crimp, usually referred to as “paired-down”.