The legendary Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg, the first international company to win an Olivier Award, return to the West End with Uncle Vanya – one of two plays in their eagerly anticipated forthcoming London season.

Described by Peter Brook as ‘the finest ensemble theatre in Europe’, and playing in London’s Theatreland for the first time in over a decade, the acclaimed troupe are reprising their celebrated production of Chekhov’s classic Uncle Vanya, which plays in repertory at Theatre Royal Haymarket with Life And Fate.

Vanya, together with his niece Sonya, has sacrificed his life managing the estate of Professor Serebryakov, his former brother-in-law and Sonya’s father. But when the Professor returns from the city with his glamorous young wife Yelena, tensions spiral as their world is thrown upside down.

Uncle Vanya is Chekhov’s tragicomic masterpiece of dashed dreams and thwarted and eternal love, which returns to London in this definitive interpretation of this classic play. The play was first performed in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, and has since become renowned as a staple show for themes of the wasted life and an impossible love.

Peoples’ Artist of Russia, Stanislavsky and Golden Soffit Award-winner Sergey Kuryshev, who has been a part of the company since 1989, leads Uncle Vanya in the titular role.

This production is directed by Maly Drama Theatre Artistic Director Lev Dodin, under whose 35 year tenure the company has flourished globally and won international awards including state prizes of Russian and the USSR, Golden Mask Awards, and an Olivier Award.

Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg’s Royal Theatre, Haymarket season is presented by Oliver King and Ekaterina Kashyntseva for Belka Productions with the support of Roman Abramovich, Sir Leonard Blavatnik , Yuri Shefler & Alexander Machkevitch.

Uncle Vanya is performed in Russian with English surtitles.

Dramas have a rich history in the West End; find out more about plays in London.