113-year-old Seagull flies into Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI // Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull began life as a flop which almost drove the Russian to abandon writing plays, yet it has since enthralled many generations of theatregoers.

One hundred and thirteen years after that groundbreaking performance in Moscow, The Seagull has finally made its way to Abu Dhabi for a short run beginning on Wednesday by the professional company Resuscitation Theatre.

But this Seagull will be a bird of a different feather.

"The original play would have run for between three-and-a-half and four hours, and would have had a cast of 14," said Maggie Hannan, the artistic director of Resuscitation Theatre, and the brains behind the adaptation. "This production only has four actors and lasts for an hour."

A comedy according to Chekhov, a tragedy to others, The Seagull tells the story of a group of people whose lives are intertwined.

Hannan, a lecturer in theatre studies at the British School Al Khubairat and the New York Film Academy (NYFA), has added her own touch to the original play, but has kept the four strongest characters - Nina Zarechnaya, a headstrong aspiring actress; Irina Arkadina, a haughty and famous actress; Boris Trigorin, an equally famous novelist; and Konstantin Trepliev, Arkadina's daydreamer son. The role of Nina, in particular, was one that spoke volumes to the actress portraying her, Hannan said.

"That is true," said Fatima al Taei, a young Emirati who graduated from NYFA in February and who will make her theatrical debut as Nina.

"She is young, but strong and quite ambitious. She is filled with dreams and she wants to be an actress. She sees these people around her doing what they love and she wants to be them.

"Unfortunately, in the play, her family won't accept that and try to stop her. It's like I am reading about myself. But she gets what she wants in the end. Nina's story has given me an ending for my own life."

Making his theatrical debut alongside al Taei, Ibrahim al Khumairi has found the entire process amazing, and one that has far exceeded his expectations.

"I never thought it would be this intense and fun. We are raising the bar for Emirati actors and I believe this will also help pave the way for theatre here," said the Emirati, who is in the first term of an acting degree at the New York academy, and who takes on the role of Trepliev.

"I'm happy with this because I want to do something for myself, without having to get people's approval. And, so far, it's been an incredible journey to be part of at this stage in my life."

The show will be performed at The Village Club, at the One to One hotel, a location that was chosen for its intimacy, Hannan said.

"It's very important that people book in advance, because then we will have an idea of how much space the actors have to perform in."

The production will use basic props, from hand-held spotlights, which will help to convey the characters' feelings, all the way through to a larger-than-life dummy figure which will be used to portray the subtext of the plot.

"This is experimental, interactive and intimate. It will teach the audience how to be an audience," Hannan said.

"Modern audiences do not have the patience for classic plays. We have made this more accessible."

The play starts at 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and runs for an hour. Tickets are Dh50. Call 02-495-2000 to book