Adapted by david Hare

James McArdle (Chariots of Fire) stars as Platanov, the charismatic school teacher who is the beating heart of Anton Chekhov's first major work. This fast-paced comedy finds four different women vying for his affections at a birthday party under the sweltering Russian sun. Anna Chancellor (Private Lives) and Geoffrey Streatfield (The Hollow Crown) are also among the cast.

Platonov is one of three of Chekhov plays adapted by David Hare, which debuted at the Chichester Theatre Festival last year. Exploring the master's early, youthful works, this trilogy offers a thrilling new perspective into the work of the man who shaped modern theatre.

What is Platonov About?

It's summer in Russia , and the once wealthy widow Anna Petrovna is throwing a party at her country house to celebrate her 40th birthday. Among the guests is the witty and sardonic Platonov, a known womaniser who is attending the party with his wife, but still holds a flame for Anna. As the evening wears on, and the wine flows, the guests reminisce about the lives they could have had, and this nostalgic mood spills over into frustration and resentment.