Anton Chekov’s The Seagull.
"We are all fools in love—and even bigger fools in art."
RoughCast was formed in the year 2000 with the aim of bringing classic theatre to venues
across East Anglia. Since then, they have built up a loyal following along the Waveney valley
with their lively productions of classic plays from Shakespeare to Stoppard performed in
theatres, village halls and various outdoor venues. Their open-air performances of
Shakespeare have been particularly popular, and RoughCast’s 2021 production of The
Tempest was part of outdoor Thorington Theatre's opening season.
Set on a Russian country estate by a beautiful lake where Anton Chekhov assembles a cast
of all-too-human characters, The Seagull explores the comedy and heartbreak of
human frailties and unrequited love. The play centres on Konstantin Treplev, an idealistic
young playwright desperate for artistic recognition and his mother's approval.
The action begins by the lake where Konstantin has assembled a moonlit stage for the
premiere of his ambitious and avant garde, first play, which is to be performed by Nina, an
aspiring young actress with whom Konstantin is in love. His glamorous mother, Arkadina, a
famous stage actress, openly ridicules the work, while her lover, the famous author Boris
Trigorin, captivates Nina much to the concern of Arkadina and her son.
