ABOUT THE SHOW

Experience Anton Chekhov’s masterful examination of the human condition, filled with humour, frustration and the fragile hope of change. Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks brings this tragicomedy to life featuring Daniel Henshall (Snowtown, The Babadook), and Catherine Văn-Davies (The Twelve).

In a once-grand estate in rural Russia, a group of relatives and visitors grapple with the slow unravelling of everything. Uncle Vanya and his niece Sonya have spent years managing the property to support the work of an esteemed professor. When the professor arrives – accompanied by his beautiful, younger wife Yelena – their quiet routine is fractured. Vanya’s longing for Yelena only deepens his discontent, while Sonya silently endures a heartbreak of her own.

Following the runaway success of Season 2024’s Julia – the latest triumph in a remarkable career spanning decades – award-winning playwright Joanna Murray-Smith deftly reframes Chekhov’s satirical look at the intellectual class of the 19th century for today while ‘leaving the spirit… gloriously intact’ (Sydney Morning Herald).

This adaption of Uncle Vanya was commissioned by Ensemble Theatre’s Literary Fund and first produced by Ensemble Theatre in 2024.