The original text

Written as Чайка (Chayka in the Roman alphabet) in 1895, it was first produced at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, St Petersburg in 1896, but failed. However, it was revived and a success when performed by the Moscow Art Theatre a while later. Today it is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays.

Translations and adaptations

Translations

Widely translated and adapted for the stage, film and TV, the play has had a vast influence on world theatre.

Translated into English as The Seagull by Elisaveta Fen.

Translated into Afrikaans as Die Seemeeu by Robert Mohr (unpublished)

Translated into Afrikaans as Die Seemeeu by André P. Brink. Published by Human & Rousseau, 1972, as Die Seemeeu : 'n komedie in vier bedrywe, reprinted a number of times since.

Die Seemeeu, an updated and adapted Afrikaans text was written by Saartjie Botha in 2015. (Unpublished)

South African responses to the text

Two Afrikaans plays, Die Eend ("The Duck"), an Afrikaans adaptation by Charles Fourie and Reza de Wet's English play On the Lake, were inspired by and in part based on the Chekhov work.

Performance history in South Africa

The play has been performed numerous times in South Africa, in translation and in adapted form.

Performances in English translation

First South African performance in 19** by **.

1931: This was the play used for the opening performance in the Little Theatre, Cape Town, presented by the Little Theatre Players, directed by Arthur Sewell with students and staff of the South African College of Music on 18 August 1931.

1941: Performed by The Johannesburg Reps starring Taubie Kushlick.

1945: Performed at the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg. Produced by Margaret Lassner for the Johannesburg Repertory Society, with Taubie Kushlick, Rognvald Gibsen, David Goldblatt, Christina Jaures, Fred Loehnen, Jocelyn de Bruyn, Norman Torry.

1968: Presented by the Little Theatre Players at the Little Theatre, Cape Town, in November, directed by Rosalie van der Gucht.

1976: Performed by The Company, directed by Barney Simon, for the “unofficial opening” of the Market Theatre on 21 June (using the small theatre Upstairs at the Market), with Erica Rogers, Vanessa Cooke, Sandra Prinsloo, Bill Brewer, Marius Weyers, Danny Keogh, Lindsay Reardon and Bess Finney.

1982: Performed at the Glass Theatre, Cape Town, directed by Chris Pretorius.

1987: Performed by CAPAB at the Nico Malan Theatre, directed and designed by Marthinus Basson, assisted as director by Mark Hoeben. Lighting by Malcolm Hurrell. The cast: Diane Wilson (Arkadina), Lionel Newton (Trepliov), Paul Malherbe (Sorin), Pauline O'Kelly (Zaryechnaia), Ronald France (Shamrayev), Mary Dreyer (Polena Andryeevna), Claire Berlein (Masha), David Dennis (Trigorin), André Roothman (Dorn), Mark Graham (Medviedenko), Mark Hoeben (Yakov) and others. The production opened on 22 May 1987.

1990: Presented by PACT Drama at the Windybrow Theatre and the State Theatre, directed by Ilse van Hemert starring Sandra Prinsloo (Arkadina}, Christopher Wells (Trepliov}, Michael McCabe (Sorin), Embeth Davidtz (Zaryechnaia), Dale Cutts (Shamrayev), Jacqui Singer (Polena Andreevna), Anna-Mart van der Merwe (Masha), Graham Hopkins (Trigorin), James Borthwick (Dorn), Peter Terry (Medviedenko) and Nick Nortier-Ashby (a workman). Set and costume designer Lindy Roberts, lighting designer Jane Gosnell.

2006: Presented by UCT Drama Department to celebrate the Little Theatre's 75th anniversary, directed by Liz Mills, with Kate Liquorish (Irina), Jason Potgieter (Treplov), Albert Pretorius (Sorin), Alicia McCormick (Nina), Faadhil Cupido, Briony Horwitz, Nathan Fredericks (Trigorin), Charlie Keegan, Lungi Pinda and Ariella Caira (cellist) at the Little Theatre, Orange Street.

Performances in Afrikaans translation

1972: The Mohr translation performed by PACT in the Breytenbach Theatre in August, directed by Robert Mohr with Wilna Snyman, Don Lamprecht, Carel Trichardt, Sandra Prinsloo, Wilma Stockenström, Katinka Heyns, Marius Weyers, Louis van Niekerk, Marko van der Colff, David Eppel, Karin van Wyk and George Ballot. Decor by Richard Cook and costumes by Tom Owen.

1972/3: It would appear from the 1976 published text that the Brink translation was commissioned by the Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State (PACOFS), who held the right to the first performance. [Details about the production are still being sought.]

1996: The Brink translation performed by the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department at the H.B. Thom Theatre in November 1996, directed by Shirley Johnston, starring Nicole Holm, Nico Dreyer, Paul du Toit, Leanna Dreyer, Paul van Wyk, Keith Bain, Martelize Kolver, Amelda Brand, Gaerin Hauptfleisch, Jaco Bouwer, Hugo Theart, Albert Snyman.