There’s something special about opening nights and even though the rest of the Baxter was dark last Saturday night, Stupid Fucking Bird was alive with first-nighters.
Described as a contemporary adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, I was looking forward to seeing it as I have always loved both Chekhov and The Seagull, though I was unsure what to expect. The presence at the opening performance of several South African acting luminaries hinted that this was an important production in the Baxter’s lineup, with cast members largely from the Baxter’s Fires Burning company. At the helm, was Swedish director Maria Weisby.
Like the original, this production explores the themes of unrequited love and artistic disillusionment. Both stories revolve around relationships of the main characters: Irena/Emma, a famous actress; her son, Konstantin/Con, a struggling playwright; his girlfriend Nina, an aspiring actress; and Trigorin, Emma’s lover, a well- known playwright.
Chekhov called it a comedy, and this production certainly did justice to the comical aspects of the 1896 play. Stupid Fucking Bird is written by American playwright Aaron Posner, an award-winning writer who is well known for numerous Chekhov and Shakespeare adaptations.
In this version, Con is debuting his latest play starring Nina. His mother is less than impressed, while Nina sees it as an opportunity to gain Trigorin’s affection, which, for a moment seems a possible outcome but Emma will have none of it and in a sense she ruins both her son and Nina’s lives.
In his self-pitying despair, Con shoots a seagull, the death of which symbolises his own disillusionment and Nina’s loss of her “free as a bird” spirit.
The play begins and ends with Con taking the audience into his confidence, an amusing theatrical device introduced by the writer – not the director – which is fun but only partially works.
Playwright Posner and director Weisby deal effectively with the themes, with enough serious content to avoid trivialising the light approach of the first half, and a cast who keep the audience involved both literally and figuratively.
The Baxter’s notes on the play assert that “at its heart, the play explores the fierce clash between commercial theatre – fuelled by celebrity and entertainment – and a newer, urgent theatre that wants to challenge, provoke and ignite change. Everyone wants something – or someone – they can’t have.” I find this interpretation a bit of a stretch, but the production is pleasing and it respectfully pays homage to Chekhov.
The cast of Stupid Fucking Bird are Awethu Hleli (Emma), Carlo Daniels (Trigorin), Lwanda Sindaphi (Sorn), Lyle October (Dev), Nigel Sithole (Con), Noluufefe Nsthumtshe (Mash) and Tamzin Daniels (Nina).
Stupid Fucking Bird runs until 2 May.
