Wiener Festwochen: La Cerisaie / Der Kirschgarten

Following the acclaimed productions By heart (2016), Sopro (2019) and Catarina e a beleza de matar fascistas (2021), the theatre director and newly appointed head of the prestigious Festival d’Avignon Tiago Rodrigues is once again guesting at the Wiener Festwochen, this time with a classic of the theatre. With its timeless elegance, Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard tells of the passing of time, of the downfall of once opulent worlds. In this exquisite production, it is none other than Isabelle Huppert who, in the role of the landowner Lyubov, has to experience the loss of the family estate. Rodrigues turns this loss of private property into a more fundamental issue, sketching out a finite world of exploitation that is entirely doomed. The impending change of circumstances has become inevitable. A great tragedy, but also a great comedy. Impressively performed by a diverse ensemble of actors whose uncompromising interplay brings the classic to life in this updated version.