Royal Court Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Out of Joint present

Three Sisters / The Break of Day

by Anton Chekhov     1995

Three Sisters is widely regarded as Chekhov’s masterpiece. With wit and compassion he follows the dreams and ambitions of his three heroines as they and their circle of friends flirt, debate, and attempt to find meaning for their lives. “Work. We must work” declares the youngest. Chekhov catches his characters at a particular moment of crisis in their lives and at a moment of crisis in Russian history, at the end of the 19th century.

One hundred years further on, work is much more of a possibility, but are women any nearer fulfilment? The Break of Day turns a sharp and beady eye on a group of friends, their husbands and lovers. Once again at the end of another century a feeling of dissatisfaction and unease pervades the group. Is it too late to have children, were they wrong to focus on work? With wit and vision Wertenbaker dissects the anxieties and obsessions of her characters.

Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov was presented in repertoire with The Break of Day by Timberlake Wertenbaker as an Out of Joint, Royal Court Theatre and Bristol Old Vic co-production in 1995.

REVIEWS

‘Three Sisters is a wonderful production…The Break of Day is easily the most searching new play around’
-Sunday Times

CAST & CREATIVES

Cast: Kate Ashfield, Anita Dobson, David Fielder, Maria Friedman, Bernard Gallagher, James Goode, Lloyd Hutchinson, Barnaby Kay, Madlena Nedeva, Brian Protheroe, Catherine Russell, Nigel Terry, Jerome Willis.

Director: Max Stafford-Clark
Designer: Julian McGowan
Songs: Jeremy Sams
Lighting Design: Johanna Town
Sound  Design: John A Leonard

PERFORMANCES

Three Sisters / The Break of Day had its world premiere on 14 September 1995, at Bristol Old Vic.