The Cherry Orchard - (Modern Plays) by Anton Chekhov & Vinay Patel (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Weird isn't it. Years of the same old thing and then suddenly, without warning, tomorrow is a stranger.

An old starship. Far from Earth.

Prema Ramesh, the ship's grieving commander, seeks solace in the sacred mission of her ancestors: leading the remnants of humanity towards the Destination. A bountiful world on which their descendants will one day thrive. But after centuries in the void, the creaking vessel is falling apart, its crew is suffering. What good is a promised paradise when the present is unbearable?

So when rumour spreads of another viable, much closer planet, the crew begin to dream of different possibilities. It could all end now. A new future beckons. But first the old structures must crumble. They won't fall without a fight.

A playful adaptation of Chekhov's tragicomic final work. Joy in the infinite, loss on a galactic scale, small lives and great ambitions adrift in the cosmos. This edition is published to coincide with the world premiere at the Yard Theatre, London, in September 2022.

A The Yard Theatre, ETT and HOME Manchester production, co-commissioned by The Yard Theatre and ETT.

About the Author

Vinay Patel's debut play, True Brits, opened at the Edinburgh Fringe 2014, before transferring to the Bush Theatre and Vault Festival. His play, An Adventure, ran at the Bush in late 2018. His first piece for television, Murdered By My Father, won the Royal Television Society award for Best Single Drama and was nominated for three BAFTAs. Vinay was named a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit for his work. He has since written for Paines Plough, ITV, Channel 4 and the BFI, as well as contributing to the bestselling collection of essays, The Good Immigrant. Vinay wrote for the 11th and 12th series of Doctor Who - receiving a Hugo nomination - and is developing further projects for TV, theatre and film.