Vanya Tickets

Love, sex, art, murder, Chekhov – and just one man. Yes, actor Andrew Scott is taking on an incredible new challenge by tackling all the parts in Vanya, Simon Stephens’s new solo version of Chekhov’s exquisite play Uncle Vanya. Don’t miss out: book your Vanya tickets on TodayTix.

That means the Fleabag star plays everyone: the university professor who visits his late wife’s family at their rural estate; the professor’s dangerously attractive new young wife Yelena; Vanya, who manages the estate; country doctor Astrov; Sonya, who is desperately in love with him; and more.

It is riveting to see how Scott conquers this rich drama all on his own in this new Vanya play, which premieres in the West End this autumn. The show plays the prestigious Duke of York’s Theatre – and this Vanya London production is one of 2023’s hot tickets.

See how an ensemble Russian comedy-drama written at the end of the 19th century becomes a solo show for a new era and new audiences. Don’t delay: it’s bound to be a popular one. Book tickets to Vanya in the West End now.

Assisted performances: Tuesday 3rd October – 7.00pm – BSL Interpreted Thursday 5th October – 7.00pm – AD Performance

This is hardly Stephens’s first time creating a fresh version of a revered work. He previously adapted Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, and Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

Still, this is hallowed theatrical ground. Uncle Vanya has seen numerous great actors and actresses taking on Chekhov’s poignantly discontented characters – including Laurence Olivier, Michael Gambon, Simon Russell Beale, Ian McKellen, Antony Sher, William Hurt, and Cate Blanchett.

If anyone is up to the task, it’s Scott. His previous theatre work includes Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End, and Present Laughter at the Old Vic, for which he won an Olivier Award. He also picked up a BAFTA for his villainous Moriarty in the detective drama Sherlock, and his diverse screen credits include the movies 1917 and Pride and TV shows His Dark Materials, Fleabag (in which he played the Hot Priest), and the upcoming Ripley.

Sam Yates directs Vanya. He previously directed Matthew Broderick and Elizabeth McGovern in The Starry Messenger, and his other West End shows include Murder Ballad, East is East, and Glengarry Glen Ross.

What to Watch For

• In 2009, Scott appeared in a production of Sea Wall, another one-man play by Stephens.
• Stanislavski starred in the original Moscow production of Uncle Vanya, while Olga Knipper, later Chekhov’s wife, played Yelena.
• This play adheres to the principle of “Chekhov’s gun,” so keep an eye on all firearms…
• Multiple authors have creatively adapted Uncle Vanya before. Alan Ayckbourn set his version, Dear Uncle, in the Lake District in the 1930s. Sam Neill starred in an Australian film version set in the Outback.
• The acclaimed 2021 Japanese movie Drive My Car features rehearsals for a production of Uncle Vanya, and the drama and themes of the play echoing those of the people staging it.