Caroline Quentin dominates the stage in James Brining's first production as artistic director of the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh. The revival of Chekhov's The Seagull, translated by Mike Poulton, is notable for its sharp characterisation, with every frustrated figure drawn in bold, precise lines.
Quentin plays Irina Arkadina, the egotistical actor spending summer in the country. Her performance is funny and bold, yet she remains one lost soul among many. She turns her insecurities into noise and fanfare, contrasting with the quiet despair of Masha, played by Tallulah Greive, and the hangdog Medvedenko of Michael Dylan.
The ensemble is richly realised, with Dyfan Dwyfor as the young lover Trigorin and Lorn Macdonald as Konstantin, trapped in an Oedipal bind. Harmony Rose-Bremner impresses as aspirant actor Nina, who chooses Trigorin and lives to regret it.
Forbes Masson, John Bett and Steven McNicoll deliver equally distinct performances as Dr Dorn, Sorin and Shamrayev. Brining's production brings out Chekhov's humour as much as his pathos, set against Colin Richmond's distressed, straw-coloured design.
The production loses some momentum in the final confrontation between Konstantin and Nina, a relationship too deranged to be heartbreaking. Even so, this is a vibrant, flavoursome and sure-footed start to Brining's tenure.
