The Cherry Orchard – Harold Pinter Theatre: Kristin Scott Thomas is luminous

The Cherry Orchard at the Noel Coward Theatre, starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Stephen Mangan, receives a ★★★★ rating in this review. Scott Thomas delivers a luminous performance as the eccentric, blinkered matriarch Lyubov Ranevskaya in Anton Chekhov's play, which explores the fading power of aristocrats amidst the rise of the upwardly mobile middle class.

Opposing her is Mangan's self-made merchant, Yermolay Lopakhin, who both aids and irritates Ranevskaya in his bid to purchase their family's estate. The cherry orchard, a symbol of life's bounty, is destroyed to make way for holiday homes, representing Chekhov's metaphor for beauty and the passage of time. The production, directed by Conor McPherson and Ian Rickson, is fluid, naturalistic, and leans into the script's farcical quality, with Mangan's comedic talents being particularly exploited.

The secondary characters, such as Ranevskaya's daughter Anya and the academic Petya, are notably well-developed. Even the 87-year-old servant Firs, who represents dated perspectives, brings a touch of tenderness in the final scene. Ultimately, Scott Thomas's performance as Chekhov's profound protagonist shines, making a brilliant contemporary case for the ailing upper classes. The play is set to run at the Harold Pinter Theatre until January 9th.