The Seagull review – all-star cast brings out the comedy in Chekhov

Packed with names such as Annette Bening, Elisabeth Moss and Saoirse Ronan, this adaptation of the classic play is brisk and funnyTaking in the night, Dr Dorn (Jon Tenney) looks at poor lovesick Masha (Elisabeth Moss), pauses, then sagely sighs: “The spells cast by this lake.” This new version of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, as adapted by Stephen Karam, seems populated by characters who know they are in a Chekhov play.

I don’t mean that there are any arch, meta-textual tricks, more that the comedy inherent in the play is amplified, the “woe-is-me” mopery is kept to a minimum, and the woodland grounds and its samovar-laden patios are gorgeous.While this is not director Michael Mayer’s first film, he is far better known for his work on Broadway and in the West End (he won a Tony award in 2007 for Spring Awakening).

Despite his background and

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