Uncle Vanya

Uncle Vanya (Russian: Дядя Ваня or Dyadya Vanya) is a play by Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) [1].

The original text

First published 1897, produced 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstantin Stanislavski (1863–1938)[2].

Translations and adaptations

The play has been translated into many languages and in many versions.

English translations include versions by * and *,

First translated into Afrikaans circa 1930 simply as Wania and produced by Jean Plaat-Stultjes in 1930.

Later translated as Oom Wanja by Karel Schoeman (1939-2017). Published by Human & Rousseau in 1968.

The play has also seen a number of adaptations for stage and film, as well of many parodies. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Vanya#Productions)

Among them are well known English versions by Christopher Hampton [3] (from a translation into English by Nina Froud), and one by Alan Ayckbourn, who reset it in the 1930s Lake District and renamed it Dear Uncle[].

In 2014 a Jewish Theater Company performed a modern adaption entitled TuBishVanya, that incorporated Jewish and environmental themes.

Performance history in South Africa

1930: First Afrikaans production produced as Wania by Jean Plaat-Stultjes (1898-1934) in 1930.

1963: Produced in English by Rosalie van der Gucht for the Little Theatre Players at the Little Theatre, Cape Town, 16 to 23 November, starring Sandy Bicket, Frumilla North, Jeanne Wennberg, Hilda Harvey, Robert Mohr, Paul Malherbe, Winston Swanson, Lily-Jean Satusky and Frank Lazarus.

1967: Performed in Afrikaans as Oom Wanja (in the Schoeman translation) by PACT in a triple bill, directed by Robert Mohr, together with Uit de oude doos by Melt Brink and Die Paradysboot by Karl Wittinger. In the Oom Wanja production the cast was: Carel Trichardt (Aleksander), Wilna Snyman (Jeljena), Marga van Rooy (Sofja), Kita Redelinghuys (Marija), Cobus Rossouw (Iwan), Louis van Niekerk (Michail), James Norval (Ilja), Sandra Kotze (Marina) and Johann Bernard (Jeffim). This production also played in Windhoek under the auspices of SWAPAC, opening on 5 April.