National Theatre Live: Vanya (2024) User Reviews

Once in a Lifetime Experience

[pgeary6001 · 10/10 · 22 February 2024]

I've never seen anything like this before: Andrew Scott plays every role in an adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and delivers an astonishing performance. One quickly becomes accustomed to the conceit of one actor utilising a multiplicity of gestures, inflections, body language and mannerisms to depict different characters; Scott's exceptional skills in carrying this off have to be seen to be fully appreciated.

The adaptation of Chekhov's material is expertly devised and although there are many, many laughs in this production, what really strikes home is the deep emotional intensity of the performance. Scott is in tears at several points and it is both heartbreaking and exhilarating to witness.

Anyone who has the slightest interest in the theatre should make it a point to catch this film. Wonderfully filmed, with expressive and thoughtful camera work, it is an undiluted triumph for all concerned.

Scott and Vanya

[andrewfy · 10/10 · 22 February 2024]

Wow. An amazing night in Liverpool. After seeing Vanya on stage I was not sure it would transfer to the big screen. How wrong I was. Andrew Scott's performance is as beautiful and heartfelt on screen as it was in the theatre. Watching it again transported me back to the theatre performance and the camera work brought the excellence of Scott's acting into sharp focus, I cannot remember what I paid for the theatre tickets but with train fares and other expenses it was in the hundreds. Full marks for the National Theatre for making this master class in acting and direction available to all, everywhere and at an affordable price. A must see. I am going again!

Andrew Scott Shines

[toots-17503 · 10/10 · 22 February 2024]

It's always rewarding when talented actors and skilled direction come together to bring a concept to life.

Andrew Scott's ability to embody various emotions and inject humour into his performance while keeping the audience engaged is truly commendable.

The captivating emotions Andrew Scott brings to each character make it easy to see his portrayal as the norm. His ability to breathe life into multiple roles is truly impressive, creating a seamless and engaging experience that draws viewers into the rich tapestry of emotions woven throughout the performance.

Translating the theatrical experience to the screen successfully adds another layer of appreciation. It's a testament to both the actor's skill and the team's efforts in capturing the essence of live theatre.

Thank you to all involved who brought this production to the screen.

an experiment

[Kirpianuscus · 28 February 2024]

To enjoy this version of Uncle Vanya, two conditions are essential:

• to be familiar with Anton Chekhov play;
• to be familiar with Andrew Scott manner to build his characters - his Hamlet can be useful prepair -.

Because , at first sight, it is a provocative version- one actor plays all the characters . The manner to do that is not real surprising - the accent on humor sides of each character was present in other adaptations. And Mr. Scott knows to use each nuance in fair - precise manner, fair reminding the play itself and its versions.

But, obvious, it is only an experiment, perfect for Andrew Scott who use, in brilliant way, entire liberty offered by lines , meanings of words and context.

Iloved the final of play, maybe little strident in this case but beautiful crafted.

So, no doubts, Andrew Scott deserves his Vanya and this play is the precious pledge for it.

An actor's capability experiment

[kasesalumaria-931-521428 · 10/10 · 16 April 2024]

I believe it would be correct to say that this is far away from a regular play and if you want a classical Chekhov play and the story then this might not be it. As I've seen it now I realise how much it is about Andrew Scott and what an actor can do. This is the real reason everyone should go watch it, in case if you want to be a part of the experiment and see how Andrew gives a brilliant performance.

Especially since he is playing like 3 female characters and 3-4 male characters? I must admit that as I'm not a native English speaker and I'm not very familiar with the original material then I really needed to pay attention and even though Andrew made it quite simple to understand the character change sometimes I could have drifted away as at one point one of the character states as well.

If you've never seen Uncle Vanya, please skip this one!

[cbrites · 5/10 · 27 February 2024]

If you've never seen Uncle Vanya, this is not the adaptation you want to know the play by Anton Checkov: it won't give you any idea of what the original is about.

Andrew Scott plays all the characters. A bold move, but that's not the problem. He is an actor good enough to try it. His farcical adaptation is the problem. All the characters are defaced by an endless sequence of childish, pointless jokes and mannerisms, like a 5th grader mocking his teachers and aunties, making them caricatures of the originals.

He tries to catch up with tragic ethos of the play in the end, with the final monologue by Sonia, but then it's too late: all empathy one could have for her, her uncle, or anyone else in the play was already destroyed before.

What is more enraging is that this failure is not due to acting incompetence. It would be understandable if it was. But no, I really believe Andrew would be capable of pulling this off, with a different, I'd say even opposite, approach. What a great opportunity was lost here!

If you never saw Uncle Vanya and wants to be introduced to Checkov's classic by a movie, try 'August'. It's an adaptation by Anthony Hopkins set in his native Wales, which he stars, directs, and also wrote the soundtrack for.

Not for me - amazing acting but why get 1 person to play 8 characters?

[funflos · 1/10 · 1 March 2024]

I'm a very visual person, have 2 cinema memberships,1 unlimited, and a contributor to our local theatres. I love National Theatre & NTL. I usually like quirky and different things? I probably see 100 things a year. This one really didn't work for me. The concept of 1 person playing 8 characters was crazy? Probably a good story but in the end had no idea what was going and left after an hour, and wanted to go after 20 minutes. Time moved tremendously slow. I've never been more disappointed in a NTL production. Amazing amazing acting but why? Appreciate we're all different and just wanted to add a perspective. The closest thing to a person sitting and narrating a book or an audio book I've ever seen as an experience.

This was amazing!

[S3pt3m63r · 2 May 2024]

I went to see this, not having seen the play before but aware that it was a one man show with all the cast being played by Andrew. It took me some time to get into the nuances of the play and to the subtleties of how Andrew plays the different characters. But once I did I soon settled in and began to enjoy this tremendously. It's a masterplay of sublime storytelling and character development done through clever stage design and character identification through use of personal effects as well as Andrew's acting abilities. His portrayal of the female characters is particularly impressive, as they are often depicted by men as overly effeminate. There are a number of female characters and he gives them their own personalities and makes them feel believable in their own unique ways. The play was a joy to watch and I felt that it was a privilege to watch it. There is no doubt that Andrew deserves the highest respect and praise for his performance in this play.