Review! The Cherry Orchard at The Harold Pinter Theatre, October 2026

2026 seems to be the year of The Cherry Orchard, with the recently opened West End adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s final play being just one of several recent stagings. This latest production, at the Harold Pinter Theatre, has been adapted by Conor McPherson and directed by Ian Rickson.

The play centres on aristocrat Lyubov Ranevskaya, who returns to her family estate after spending several years in Paris. Almost penniless, she faces the very real possibility of losing both her home and its grand cherry orchard, with the estate at risk of being sold at auction. As the family attempts to navigate this uncertain future, the story explores the struggle between holding on to the past and accepting the inevitability of change. Is the cherry orchard the glue that holds this family together, or is letting it go the key to moving forward?

I’ll be honest: I found elements of the play confusing. I went in expecting a drama, only to encounter far more comedic moments than I had anticipated, scattered throughout an otherwise serious storyline. Is it a comedy? A drama? For much of the first act, I found myself unsure of the play’s overall tone or where the plot was ultimately heading. Fortunately, the humour seemed to land well with the audience, with these lighter moments providing welcome relief amid the underlying tension.

One element that immediately caught my attention was the set, designed by Chloe Lamford. Centred around a single room that remains the focal point throughout the production, the design effectively conveys a home that has been neglected for years. The sparse furniture and rundown features create a sense of emptiness, reflecting both the physical decline of the estate and the family’s fading aristocratic lifestyle. In the second act, the space opens up as the doors are thrown open, revealing aged wallpaper that further emphasises the home’s former grandeur and current deterioration. The set was undoubtedly one of my favourite elements of the production, adding a visual depth to the story that I found particularly compelling.

Bruno Poet’s lighting design was another highlight. I particularly enjoyed the use of light through the window to convey the passing of time, subtly shifting between day and night. It was a simple yet effective detail that helped bring the space to life.

The production boasts an impressive cast, including Kristin Scott Thomas, who is no stranger to Chekhov’s work, alongside Stephen Mangan, Jeff Rawle and Vinette Robinson, to name just a few. While there were elements of each performance that I enjoyed, I occasionally found the distinctions between certain characters, and their relationships with one another, a little blurred.

Vinette Robinson’s portrayal of Varya, in particular, felt more grounded in responsibility than that of Ranevskaya, the family matriarch. It wasn’t until towards the end of the second act, when Ranevskaya is forced to confront the reality of her future, that I truly felt the weight of her anguish. The dialogue in these moments was particularly powerful, allowing her emotional vulnerability to finally come to the forefront.

Stephen Mangan brought some welcome light-heartedness to the first act as Lopakhin, and his presence felt noticeably missed for much of the second. Nevertheless, he made a real impression in the scenes he was given, bringing an energy and charm to the production that I thoroughly enjoyed.

For me, Megan Cusack’s portrayal of Dunyasha was a breath of fresh air. Despite being a member of the household staff, her character never felt any less significant than the others, bringing a real sense of presence to every scene she was in. Cusack was a joy to watch, and her performance provided one of the production’s most refreshing highlights.

I want to be clear that I am by no means suggesting this is a bad production. There were plenty of elements I appreciated, and I found genuine positives throughout. However, for a play that centres on what feels like an earlier-day cost-of-living crisis, with a family on the brink of losing their home and everything it represents, I struggled to feel the urgency of their situation. Similarly, I found it difficult to fully empathise with the weight of the family’s past and the traumas that continue to shape their lives. While the themes of loss, change and financial uncertainty are undoubtedly relevant, I didn’t always feel their emotional impact as strongly as I had hoped.

Perhaps The Cherry Orchard simply wasn’t for me, and I can appreciate that others may connect with its themes and characters in ways that I didn’t. That said, I would be interested in seeing another interpretation of Chekhov’s final play, if only to compare approaches and discover whether a different staging might resonate with me more.

The Cherry Orchard plays at The Harold Pinter Theatre until 9th January 2027

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https://thecherryorchardplay.co.uk/