Our 2026 production of Anton Chekhov’s final masterpiece, The Cherry Orchard, was a huge success, commercially and critically. Sold out in both venues, we were delighted with the audience feedback:

“I can’t believe you are not professionals.”

“I thought Chekhov was going to be difficult but the story really carried you along.”

“I never realised Chekhov was funny until today.”

The play tells the story of Ranyevskaya, a charismatic but feckless landowner, who has run out of money. Her estate, including the wonderful cherry orchard, must be sold to pay her debts. Lopakhin, a peasant whom she took under her wing when he was young, is now a wealthy businessman and he has a plan to solve her woes. Will she take his advice?

This dilemma affects the whole household: her equally feckless brother, Gayev, her daughters, Anya and Varya, her servants and her friends and neighbours on the estate. Through this domestic setting, Chekhov explores large themes of social change, the search for meaning in life and the tangled mix of love, hope, longing and regret that characterises so many relationships. Like all Chekhov’s great plays it manages to be very funny and also deeply moving at the same time.

Our production used an extremely faithful translation in modern English by Michael Frayn, himself a brilliant playwright.

A big THANK YOU to both our lovely venues

The play was performed in St Mary De Crypt in Gloucester and Isbourne Arts in Winchcombe. We would like to thank both venues for making us so welcome.