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Chekhov Shorts



Chekhov Shorts
translated by michael frayn



UnderDog, Aberdeen
November 9th-20th 2016

Supported by Creative Funding from Aberdeen City Council





Michael Frayn’s acclaimed translations are a wild and witty take on the short comedic farces by one of the world’s greatest writers, Anton Chekhov. Exploring the absurdity of life in the late 19th century, these three hilarious plays offer more than just a laugh a minute but a curious exploration into human nature.

The Proposal

Ivan Lomov, is a long term neighbour to Stepan Stepanovich. He has finally plucked up the courage to propose marriage to Stepanovich’s twenty something daughter, Natalya. Yet, a surprising turn of events lead Lomov to get hot under the collar in more ways than one.

The Evils of Tobacco

The hen-pecked Nyukhin has been told by his wife to give a lecture on ‘The Evils of Tobacco’. Dutifully he complies. However, when she’s not there, what exactly does Nyukhin get up to?

Drama

A highly acclaimed writer receives an unwanted visit from an aspiring female playwright. Hoping her play will stand tall and prove a success, an unexpected and shocking turning point might lift the Drama off the page.




PRESS





"Three 20 minutes comedy plays that left the audience shouting for more." Press and Journal



Matthew Zajac



Actor





Matthew is from Inverness. He studied Drama at Bristol University and has worked as an actor for 36 years, alongside producing and directing many new plays. In recent years he has also become a writer. Theatre acting includes work at the Citizens Theatre Glasgow, Manchester Royal Exchange, Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Everyman, Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, the Lyric Hammersmith, Bush Theatre and the Young Vic. Most recently, he played Bishop Gornik in the 2017 feature film The Crucifixion, directed by Xavier Gens and he appeared in Dogstar's award-winning two-hander about women's experience of the Syrian war, The Sky Is Safe, directed by Ben Harrison, which he also wrote. He played the title role in Dogstar's award-winning 2016 Scottish-Danish co-production Mungo Park-Travels in the Interior of Africa, directed by Martin Lyngbo. He directed Seven Ages (2001), The Seer (2006), ‘e Polish Quine (2007), Jacobite Country (2010), Sweetness (2011) and The Baroness (2013) for Dogstar and wrote and performed The Tailor of Inverness for the company, winning the 2009 Best Actor Award at the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland, a Scotsman Fringe First, the Holden Street Theatres Award and the Stage Award for Best Solo Performer at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe. The Tailor of Inverness went on to run for a month at the 2009 Adelaide Fringe Festival, winning nominations for Best Production and Best Performance. This production has now had 5 sell-out Scottish tours and has also toured to Denmark, Sweden (twice), Poland, Ukraine (twice), USA, Germany, Wales, England and Ireland (twice), including selling out for 3 weeks at New York’s 2015 Brits Off Broadway Festival. Matthew played Ulfheim in When We Dead Awaken for Riksteatern, Vasterbottensteatern (Sweden) & Unity Theatre Liverpool (2008) and he worked for Vasterbottensteatern on the company's Swedish language production Hohaj in 2011-12. He was a founder member of London-based Plain Clothes Productions, producing, acting and directing for the company’s six productions in the 1990s. These included the George Devine Award Winner Blue Night in the Heart of the West (1992), A Prick-Song for the New Leviathan, Wolf and Her Sister’s Tongue. As Associate Director of Grey Coast Theatre Company 1994-98, he directed Camster and the Helmsdale Community play The Great Bunillidh Volcano and appeared in Songs of the Grey Coast & The Niss. Matthew has produced two films, The Beauty of the Common Tool (1st Prize at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival) and the digital feature Gordon Bennett. For Licketyspit early years theatre company, he directed remounts of Molly Whuppie(2003 & 2006); Wee Witches(2005 & 2007); The Christmas Quangle Wangle (2004). Other acting work includes Creon in Antigone (TAG), Joe Saul in Burning Bright (V.amp/Tramway), Long Rob in Sunset Song (Prime Productions), Seven Ages, Sweetness, Factor 9, The Captain’s Collection & The Heretic’s Tale (Dogstar), Karl Marx’s Beard (Arches/Traverse), Mr Hansen in Further Than the Furthest Thing (Prime Productions), and screen appearances in The Planman, Taggart, Inspector George Gently (ITV), Shetland, Still Game, Fiona's Story, Garrow's Law, Single Father, One of Us (BBC), High Times (STV), Low Winter Sun, Zastrozzi (C4), and the feature films Valhalla Rising, A Lonely Place To Die, Iona, Young Adam & Man To Man. His book, The Tailor of Inverness was published in 2013 by Sandstone Press. He recently completed a stage adaptation of James Robertson's novel The Testament of Gideon Mack.



Sarah Helena Ord



Actor





Sarah is an Actor and Drama facilitator who graduated from the the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London in 2012.

Short Film credits include Cannes film Distorted Frequency, The Hanging Branch and The Ripple Effect (Directed by John Dower)

Recent Theatre credits include One Day to Play (National Theatre of Scotland), Twelfth Night 'Playing Aberdeen 1601' and 'So You Think Vikings are funny?' (APA), Rough Mix (Magnetic North), The Kindness of Strangers (Curious Directive), Lord of The Flies (Theatre Broadway Catford)

Work with 10ft Tall Theatre includes-Chekhov Shorts, The Granite Mile (assistant Director) Videotape (Development) and Wee Tales.
Sarah specialises in teaching Acting technique to young people and has been facilitating and Directing for over 10 years.


Mark Wood



Actor





Mark, born and bred in Aberdeen, trained at the RCS (formerly the RSAMD) graduate class of 2005.


Theatre Credits Include:Chekhov Shorts (10ft Tall Theatre), The Pillowman (Derek Anderson Productions); Granite (National Theatre of Scotland) Vanya, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Blood Wedding (Citizens Theatre), Spectretown (Stoirm Og), Victoria (Dundee Rep), One Day All This Will Come To Nothing (Traverse), Men Should Weep (Oxford Stage Company)


TV: In And Out Of The Kitchen, The Ginge The Geordie and The Geek, How Not To Live Your Life and The Verdict (BBC), Loch Ness, Trinity, Sea of Souls (ITV), Taggart (SMG)


Film: The Redwood Massacre and Attack of The Herbals (Clear Focus Movies), Ashes (Bradgate Films), My Brothers Keeper, The Clan and In A Mans World (Clan Films).





Chekhov shorts



Translated by Michael Frayn

Cast: Sarah Helena Ord

Matthew Zajac

Mark Wood
Director: Cameron Mowat
Producer: Adam Coutts
Poster Design: Graeme Macdonald Photography
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