Don't be miserable, you wonderful woman; be a mermaid. There's the
ocean; throw yourself in. Fall in love with some poor mortal and drag
him down with you. Astonish us!
On an isolated country estate, Sonia and her Uncle Vanya are committed
to a life of ceaseless toil. But when the ageing invalid Serebriakov and
his bewilderingly beautiful young wife take up residence, a yearning
envelops the household and disturbs the accustomed tedium. Friend and
confidant Astrov grows lovelorn, Sonia's heart breaks and even Vanya
falls under the spell. And so they fight, bond, belittle, lament, make
peace and contemplate the odd murder.
Featuring sex, comedy and unbearable sadness in nineteenth-century
Russia, this version of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya was written and
directed by Terry Johnson and opened at Hampstead Theatre, London, in
November 2018.
And having weathered the storm, what's left? My feelings for you; a few
droplets on a window pane, catching the sun, running down a way, drying
to nothing.