WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING ABOUT
THE SEAGULL
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The Royal Court Theatre’s production of Anton Chekhov’s THE SEAGULL opened Thursday, October 2 at the Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street).  The production stars Kristin Scott Thomas, Peter Sarsgaard and Mackenzie Crook, in a new version of the play by Christopher Hampton and directed by Ian Rickson.  THE SEAGULL plays a limited run through December 21 only.Â
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Here is what critics are saying about the production:
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Ben Brantley
THE NEW YORK TIMES
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/10/03/theater/reviews/03seag.html
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“Magnificent. The finest and most fully involving production of Chekhov that I have ever known. The Seagull was Ian Rickson’s valedictory production as artistic director of the Royal Court Theater, and when I saw it there last year, I couldn’t imagine its being much better. Yet this Seagull has only ripened and deepened. Ms. Scott Thomas’s performance is funnier, sadder and braver than it was in London. With sly brilliance Mr. Sarsgaard presents Trigorin as an awkward, reticent man transformed by a worshipful public into a closely watched dandy. The seeming contradictions of tone and character that have sent many a great theatrical artist stumbling into confusion here achieve a cohesiveness that sacrifices neither clarity nor complexity. It is, to make honest use of the language of hucksters, a limited, once-in-a-lifetime offer, as the show runs only through Dec. 21.”
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Clive Barnes
NEW YORK POST
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10032008/entertainment/theater/gliding_with_a_snort_beyond_times_border_131877.htm
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“éééé (out of four). It’s staged with natural fluency by Ian Rickson, with an elegant new adaptation by Christopher Hampton that sounds as though it were written the day before yesterday. Arkardina is a great role, and Scott Thomas gives a great performance. She gives a perfect portrait of an actress close to the top of that first downward swoop.”
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Joe Dziemianowicz
DAILY NEWS
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/arts/2008/10/03/2008-10-03_kristin_scott_thomas_is_shining_star_of_.html
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“With its crisp, conversational script by Christopher Hampton and graceful, steady-handed direction by Ian Rickson, the production is as stirring as it is entertaining. Scott Thomas is sly-eyed, sharp-tongued and sure-footed and holds you rapt while just standing motionless. In short, she’s heaven in her Broadway debut. Â No less phenomenal is Carey Mulligan, who plays Nina and instantly captures your heart with her teary-eyed, exquisitely emotional portrayal. Mackenzie Crook seems to draw from a deep well of sadness as Konstantin, the experimental playwright hopelessly in love with her.”
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Linda Winer
NEWSDAY
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/friday/partii/ny-etgull5866311oct03,0,3014594.story
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“How thrilling, finally, to have a version of The Seagull that understands why we cherish Anton Chekhov. Kristin Scott Thomas makes her glorious Broadway debut with her Olivier-winning portrayal of Arkandina. Carey Mulligan makes a luminous Nina. Zoe Kazan finds an almost irrepressible hope, then the deadened fate in Masha. Director Ian Rickson and Scott Thomas find the exquisite balance between being idealistic about the arts and satirizing that idealism.”
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Mike Kuchwara
ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/10/02/a_revelatory_seagull_soars_with_uncommon_clarity/
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“The disappointed souls who populate The Seagull have never looked or, what is more important, sounded better. They have arrived on Broadway courtesy of London’s Royal Court Theatre, and the result is a revelation. There have been several productions of The Seagull in New York within the last year or so but none has had the clarity and emotional impact of Christopher Hampton’s new translation. Mackenzie Crook portrays Konstantin with haunting intensity. Peter Sarsgaard perfectly captures Trigorin’s single-mindedness as he pursues the perfect word or phrase.”
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David Rooney
VARIETY
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938571.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
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“The director, adaptor Christopher Hampton and their fine ensemble inject startling vitality, immediacy and infinite nuance into Chekhov’s 1895 play. Rarely is the writer’s signature balance of humor, pathos and tragedy so exquisitely rendered or the modulation between them orchestrated so affectingly. This is powerful theater. Rickson’s production brings the pleasure of rediscovery and fresh responses to a frequently produced classic.”
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Frank Scheck
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER/REUTERS
http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKTRE4920BH20081003
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“The Royal Court Theatre’s production of The Seagull has flown triumphantly from London to New York. A beautifully modulated revival of Chekhov’s classic. The major cast change in the production is the replacement of Chiwetel Ejiofor with Peter Sarsgaard in the key role of aloof, self-absorbed writer Trigorin. Interpreting the character as somewhat edgier and less likable than did his predecessor, Sarsgaard delivers an intelligent, nuanced turn that gives the play a darker tone than it had in London. Thomas perfectly captures the ageing actress Arkadina’s vainglorious air. The supporting cast is equally sublime.”Â
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John Lahr
THE NEW YORKER
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/theatre/2008/10/13/081013crth_theatre_lahr
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“Thrilling. As Arkadina, Scott Thomas is an inspired piece of casting. Bright-eyed, fresh-faced, and petite, she has a lithe presence that underscores Arkadina’s childishness. Mackenzie Crook’s gaunt, cadaverous look gives Konstantin a splendid ghostly quality. When this production was mounted in London, the English newspapers generally agreed that it was the best Seagull in living memory.  Director Ian Rickson factors out Chekhov’s algebra of aimlessness with extraordinary nuance. The evening, and the ensemble’s achievement, is remarkable.”
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Roma Torre
NY 1
http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/theater_reviews/86704/ny1-theater-review—the-seagull-/Default.aspx
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“The brilliant collaboration that brought this Seagull to Broadway gives theatre-goers a rare treat. Christopher Hampton’s pitch-perfect translation sets the stage for one of, if not the most, rewarding nights of Chekhov I’ve ever seen. And with Ian Rickson’s insightful direction, The Seagull resonates like never before. He gives his superb cast ample space to spread their glorious wings. Kristin Scott Thomas, delivering a revelatory performance as the self-absorbed actress Arkadina, leads the company with a naturalism that brings this 112-year-old play into the here and now. As well as I know this play, it seemed new to me the night I attended. Chekhov’s great desire to reinvent the art form takes flight with this magnificent Seagull.”
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Jacques LeSourd
GANNETT WESTCHESTER
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081003/ENTERTAINMENT/810030308/1186/Entertainment0801
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“As tortured as these unrequited loves are, what remains is the clarity of the vision that director Ian Rickson and his star bring to the whole enterprise. It is a vision that never gets blurry from being lost in the poetry of Chekhov. Scott Thomas may be playing a timeless type – the big-time actress with an inflated ego that blinds her to the needs of her own family. But she also, somehow, manages to communicate that inside that bubblehead is a giant brain that never shuts down. Sarsgaard stresses that cold side of Trigorin, playing him as conflicted only about the meaning of his fame as a writer. Though this is a production with a definite star turn, the sense of ensemble is never lost.”
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Robert Feldberg
BERGEN RECORD
http://www.northjersey.com/betterliving/stage/30239214.html
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“The Seagull arrived from London festooned with top-shelf adjectives: “rapturous,” “exhilarating,” “finest.” And the revival of Chekhov’s play is deserving of all of them. The Seagull, Chekhov’s first major play – and a favorite among theater people because it’s about theater people – is frequently revived. I’ve never seen another production, though, that was so immediate and alive, so rich in its exploration of the characters.”Â
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Toby Zinman
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20081006_Chekhov_s__Seagull__takes_flight.html
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“No one does disappointment, aimlessness, sorrow and despair like Chekhov. And hardly anyone does Chekhov convincingly on stage – making us recognize ourselves in those impossible tragicomic characters. This magnificent production of The Seagull, transferred from London to Broadway, gets it absolutely and thrillingly right. So much laughing, weeping, kissing, talking, waiting. So much theatrical pleasure.”Â
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Malcolm Johnson
HARTFORD COURANT
http://www.courant.com/entertainment/stage/reviews/hc-opobseagullrev.artoct03,0,3358884.story
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“The Seagull has enjoyed a vogue of late with star-strewn revivals. But the new arrival at the Walter Kerr Theatre outclasses them all, with the truly brilliant Kristin Scott Thomas heading the cast. Originally produced at London’s Royal Court Theatre, the production adds up to a nearly ideal version of the first of Anton Chekhov’s final four masterpieces, largely because of the new adaptation by Christopher Hampton. The cast comes mostly from the Royal Court, with a few Americans, but Ian Rickson has seamlessly blended the ensemble.”Â
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Simon Houpt
TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081004.SEAGULL04/TPStory/?query=The+Seagull
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“Is there such a thing as a Masters in Theatre Archeology? Because the vivacious Royal Court production of The Seagull, which landed in New York on Thursday, is such a sleek and robust specimen it seems to have been excavated intact from the earth only yesterday; it couldn’t possibly be more than a century old, could it? Across the board, director Ian Rickson’s cast avoids the grand self-pity that marks so many productions of The Seagull. Taking over from Chiwetel Ejiofor, the production’s Trigorin in London, Peter Sarsgaard takes a risk with a subtle read rooted in the character’s declaration: “I’ve never had a will of my own.” He is content to accept whatever falls into his lap. Trigorin’s awareness of his own mediocrity, played so often with grand disgust, is quietly devastating; when he admonishes Nina for valuing celebrity above art, you may feel you’re hearing this speech for the first time.”
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