The Cherry Orchard

Must the house be sold? 

A childhood home, held in the family for generations, and a failing business alongside it. Debts are mounting, times are changing, and impending doom is coming for the old guard. 

Amongst the rooms of tired luxury, a quirky and disjointed family gather for what might be their last summer, haunted by the ghosts of the past and their own strange demons. 

In 1976, after the departure of the BBC, the Riverside Studios arts centre opened with a community-led drive to celebrate local artists. The Cherry Orchard was the first play to be produced at the newly hand-refurbished theatre, directed by the first artistic director, Peter Gill, whose minimalist production starred Judy Parfitt in the role of Madame Ranevskaya.

Our production takes inspiration from the Gill production’s context, using the political upheaval of the 70s as the stylistic backdrop of an aristocratic family who are soon to be upset by a country at war with itself. 

In a society of unrest, Chekhov subversively presents a world where everyone is talking, but no-one is listening.

REP: RADICAL CLASSICAL

5 ACTORS. 5 PLAYS. 5 WEEKS.

Rep is back. Inspired by traditional companies of the past, Flywheel use one of the most intense formats of theatre-making to celebrate 50 years of the iconic Riverside Studios.

With a season of plays inspired by half a century of past productions, Flywheel breathe new life into classics. Expect a season of comedies and tragedies that reflect today’s world - exploring themes of  judgement, division, and the imbalance of power within family, society, and politics.