Entertainment · Books & Arts · 3 hrs ago
Kristin Scott Thomas and Stephen Mangan star in a criticized Cherry Orchard revival
A new production of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard is playing in London at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Kristin Scott Thomas plays Madame Ranevskaya, who returns to her childhood home, and Stephen Mangan plays Lopakhin, a former peasant offering to help her financially.
The play is set against the decline of Russian society before the 1905 revolution and explores self-deception and social change.
The production, directed by Ian Rickson and reimagined by Conor McPherson, was criticized for removing much of the story’s historical and class context.
The review also found that Scott Thomas and Mangan’s characters lacked emotional connection, especially in Lopakhin’s relationship with Varya, played by Vinette Robinson.
Karl Johnson’s performance as the elderly servant Firs was singled out for praise.
The production is scheduled to run until January 9.
Kristin Scott Thomas and Stephen Mangan star in Ian Rickson’s revival of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre.
The production uses a new adaptation by Conor McPherson.
The Guardian praised Scott Thomas’s performance and described the production as handsome and engaging, while the Daily Mail called it listless and criticized its treatment of history and class.
The play is scheduled to run until January 9.
- Who
- Kristin Scott Thomas plays Madame Ranevskaya and Stephen Mangan plays Lopakhin. The production is directed by Ian Rickson.
- What
- A revival of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, adapted by Conor McPherson.
- When
- Reviews were published on October 13, 2026. The play runs until January 9.
- Where
- Harold Pinter Theatre, London.
- Why
- The sources do not state a specific reason for staging the revival.
The Guardian reviewer
Patrick Marmion, Daily Mail
Overall assessment
The Guardian reviewer
The production is handsome and engaging, with an earthy comic tone.
Patrick Marmion, Daily Mail
The revival is listless and lacks a sense of history or class struggle.
Adaptation and setting
The Guardian reviewer
McPherson’s adaptation stays faithful to Chekhov’s comic vision and uses plain-speaking dialogue.
Patrick Marmion, Daily Mail
The adaptation’s contemporary idioms and apparent 1980s setting weaken the historical context.
Performances
The Guardian reviewer
Scott Thomas brings a convincing modernity to Ranevskaya, while Mangan’s interpretation of Lopakhin is interesting but only half convincing.
Patrick Marmion, Daily Mail
Scott Thomas is cold, and Mangan’s portrayal lacks convincing class distinction and romantic tension.
Reviews of the production were published by the Guardian and the Daily Mail.
The production is scheduled to run at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
- Lead actors
- Kristin Scott Thomas and Stephen Mangan
- Play
- The Cherry Orchard
- Director
- Ian Rickson
- Adaptation
- Conor McPherson
- Venue
- Harold Pinter Theatre, London
- Run ends
- January 9
2 sources
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What people are saying
The atmosphere of absurdity and pettiness works well
with no sense of history, little is at stake