Platonov

ATYP delivers a riveting adaption of Anton Chekov’s 1878 play, Platonov; a performance that decides to stay rooted firmly in its era with its dialogue, while allowing its brilliant costuming and sound design to evoke the present. What results is the tale of a good for nothing hipster who somehow inherits an unexplainable magnetism. He treats women as conquests – trivial pursuits – managing to entwine them in his game of cat and mouse, in which the cat can’t be bothered and the mouse is desperate to be caught, if only to feel the inevitable sting.

As the play unfolds, the stage setup begins to work in tandem with the immaculate sound design and lighting, the audience sitting above the performers on two sides of the stage, looking down at the tragedy unfolding, eyes purposefully left to dart around as multiple conversations forced the audience to pay attention. When attention wanes, the convincing crack of a gunshot from an ignored location brings everybody back with a jolt, the smoke lingering in the air almost as long as the smell. The cryptic dialogue nearly tricks one into believing the play has more substance than it does. In actuality it is a masterful interpretation of a serviceable script.

The Australian Theatre For Young People (ATYP) to 22 Nov.