KEY POINTS:
Written at the dawn of the 20th century, Three Sisters transports us into a Chekhovian world that is strange but instantly recognisable - full of humour, heartbreak and eccentric characters "bursting to philosophise".
The play is an enigma and any attempt to say what it is about must be regarded as provisional. The 14 characters are all complex individuals and each is yearning for a radiant future while struggling with the frustrations and compromises that arise from the mundane business of living.
Happiness is constantly deferred but rather than offering solutions, Chekhov is like a Socratic gadfly, provoking the audience to examine their own lives.
The highly energised performances carry the hallmarks of Stanislavski's Method, with each member of the ensemble showing an intense emotional identification with his or her character.
Matthew Sunderland has been particularly successful in finding a nervous, diffident tone for the soldier-philosopher Vershinin, who forms an adulterous liaison with the middle sister, Masha. There is a strong chemistry between Sunderland and Madeleine Hyland, who brings a Gothic self-absorption to her depiction of Masha.
As the youngest of the three sisters, Brooke Williams has an enchanting, vivacious presence that evokes the heartbreaking innocence of a character who abandons her dreams and agrees to marry a suitor whom she cannot love.
Jacob Tamaiparea gives a robust performance as her suitor and his bellowing delivery of a Russian folk song has a distinctive Polynesian flavour that powerfully conveys the camaraderie of a soldiers' drinking party.
Tahi Mapp-Boren brings a disturbing neurotic edge to her haunting portrayal of the outsider who ruthlessly displaces the sisters from their family home.
The production is well served by the more experienced members of the Peripeteia company, who present striking characterisations of the minor parts and create a supportive platform for the younger actors.
Daniel Mainwaring's direction provides plenty of evidence of a passionate engagement with the text and in the first half flippant humour is nicely balanced with moments of explosive intensity.
After the interval the more anguished emotions gain the upper hand, although humour is maintained by Trygve Wakenshaw, who delivers a Ricky Gervais-style performance that skewers the social inadequacies of an excruciatingly gormless school teacher.
The pub venue is used to great effect, providing the audience with a wonderfully intimate proximity to one of the masterpieces of modern theatre.
What: Three Sisters.
Where: The Birdcage.
When: Until August 30.
