NHB Modern Plays The Seagull

A refreshing, revitalised adaptation of Chekhov's timeless play about vanity, power and sacrifices made in the name of art. Premiered at the Barbican Theatre, London, in 2025, with an ensemble cast including Cate Blanchett. When celebrated actress Irina Arkádina arrives at her family's country estate for the summer, she finds herself caught in a perfect storm of conflicting desires. Her playwright son, Konstantin, is struggling to step out of her shadow to pursue his own artistic ambitions. Her lover Trigorin, a famous novelist, has entranced the aspiring young actress Nina, with whom Konstantin is in love. And complicating everything is Arkádina's own need to take centre stage, in her personal life as well as her work. As their lives entwine and they each grapple with their desires, ambitions and disappointments, Anton Chekhov's timeless play unfolds in a gripping tale of vanity, power and sacrifices made in the name of art. This refreshing, revitalised adaptation of The Seagull by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier was first performed at the Barbican Theatre, London, in 2025, directed by Ostermeier. The ensemble cast included Cate Blanchett, Tom Burke, Emma Corrin and Kodi Smit-McPhee.