Climate activism in a thriving Maastrichter Cherry Garden

It is a drizzly Sunday afternoon when 850 boffins make their way to Limburg's most beautiful theatre on the Vrijthof to enjoy Toneelgroep Maastricht's treat: a wonderful contemporary version of the clash with inescapable capitalism.

The story of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Garden in a nutshell: after an amorous period in Paris, Lyuba returns to her Russian estate but can no longer afford the burdens. Acquaintance and businessman Yarmolai suggests ploughing up the cherry garden to build dachas to rent out for much-needed income. Lyuba ignores his proposal time and again, hoping in vain to evade the impending auction that will make Jarmolai the new owner.

Great players

Almost 119 years later, screenwriter Jibbe Willems and director Michel Sluysmans are making a modern version that is thankfully still as recognisable as the original. And taking sides in a century-old question: is The Cherry Garden more comedy, as intended by Chekhov, or tragedy like the very first performance in Moscow, against the wishes of the writer himself?

Toneelgroep Maastricht announces the play as a comedy and it unmistakably is. Although in the final part, the poignant setting shows a series of portraits of Ljoeba's drowned child. For the grave on the estate, symbol of innocence, has to give way to the holiday park. This reflects the tragedy, which is overturned moments later by a confession by Ljoeba that she was not paying enough attention when her daughter drowned, because "she was just fucking" with a flirt.

Perfect actress

Anniek Pheifer is the perfect actress for the role of Lyuba, the by turns sprightly, free-spirited and melancholic woman who approaches money matters with a mixture of inanity and distrust. How surprising also her brilliant, for me unforgettable (swan) song at the beginning in this fine theatre.

She knows her counterpart, the also wonderfully in his element Jeroen Spitzenberger, inside out. As cunning as he is ruthless, he tries to win our understanding as a man who has overcome the poverty of his youth and is entitled to a good life. After all, his father was a slave to the family on the same estate.

Climate and diversity

Excuse me: an enslaved person? And is the latter then not entitled to recognition of, and compensation for, his past, as modern times want? Sluysmans and Willems - unfortunately - do not go that far. They do, however, make room in their text for youth climate activism. They give Petja (Nick Renzo Garcia), with his original character of breaking and sulking in love, the role of stubborn climate activist. He finds Anja, daughter of Lyuba by his side, an excellent role played by Ntianu Stuger.

With the equally excellent Quiah Shilue as stepdaughter Warja, diversity is guaranteed in this Russian play; also in terms of age with old actor Beppe Costa as butler Firs. His lyrics, mostly one-liners, may be hard to understand at times, but musically he plays the stars of heaven with various stringed instruments. Not forgetting Vincent Linthorst as the perfect Leonid (Lyuba's brother) who symbolises (my) old generation that cannot possibly halt its decline.

Zeitgeist

The Christmas Garden involves our struggles with the changing zeitgeist, a theme that lends itself to a nice blend of traditional text and modernisation. However, Chekhov's obvious plea against capital-enforced renewal ("If only we could turn back time to when we were all happy") stands alongside aristocratic romanticism in this version, as well as the little contested climate case; not easy.

Either way, the brilliant apotheosis remains intact: the Ranevskaya family's retreat with the piled-up household effects, set in beautiful light by Toneelgroep Maastricht. With the counterclockwise circular stage and beautiful video with fox in the background, the staging is also done to perfection.

OK, then some criticism: actors do stand around talking to the audience rather than interacting among themselves. And is the introduced modern language perhaps deliberately barren and clichéd, to show that activism has little playfulness and poetry?

Extra: Video review