Jennifer Ehle in Summerfolk
RECALL THE thud of axes that ended Chekhov's Cherry Orchard as they brought to the ground both the trees of its title and the genteel way of life they represented? Well, Gorky's Summerfolk might be a long coda to that play, showing as it does the new middle classes living in the villas where aristocratic maidens once bloomed. Are they fulfilled?
As Trevor Nunn's superb revival gently shows, most are not. Gorky, like Chekhov, was writing in 1904, but had a communist agenda. As a result, the summer residents, played by Jennifer Ehle (above) and Patricia Hodge, sometimes sound as if they are speechifying on his behalf. Though Gorky's point is a severe one - that a new, self- indulgent bourgeoisie is betraying its proletarian roots - the magnificent cast humanise the rootless characters they play. BENEDICT NIGHTINGALE National: Olivier, South Bank, London SE1, Sep 18, 20-21, 7pm, mats Sep 18 and 21, 1.30pm, continuing in rep, £9-£29 (0171-452 3000)
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