Robert Cohen - Theatre, Brief Version-McGraw-Hill Education (2016)

308 Chapter 10 Global Theatre Today
Katie Mitchell’s darkly naturalistic staging of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard in 2014, translated, shortened and adapted by
Award-winning Simon Stephens, puts a grim light on what Chekhov considered to be his final comedy. Performed at London’s
Young Vic Theatre with, left to right, Kate Duchene as Ranevskaya, Catrin Stewart as Anya, Angus Wright as Gaev, Dominic
Rowan as Lopakhin, Gawn Grainger as Firs, and Andy Cresswell as the drunken beggar who assaults them all. © Geraint Lewis
With its bright colors and cardboard
scenery, Katie Mitchell’s
production of The Cat in the Hat at
the National Theatre in 2009 proved
a delight for the children who were
her major intended audience. Mitchell
brought groups of children to her
rehearsals, including her own fouryear-old
daughter Edie, explaining,
“If they look away and get distracted
for more than 15 seconds, what we
are doing needs to be sharpened.”
Angus Wright is The Cat in this
charming photograph of the production.
© Geraint Lewis