Directed at Stijn Van Opstal

Review by Eloise Robertson

[seagull] is fantastically novel theatre. Adapted by Stijn Van Opstal, from Chekhov’s The Seagull, the show is largely performed in Flemish Sign Language. The result is every character must go to physical effort to gain attention, to communicate: stamping their foot, waving their hands, or tapping others shoulder’s. For a play where communication difficulties are so influential, this is brilliantly intelligent framing.

It is immediately apparent that this production indulges Chekhov’s humour; Masja (Lobke Leirens) and Medvedenko (Tom Dewispelaere) are introduced – just off the wooden staging blocks but totally visible – by tipping water over one another’s heads as the supertitles read that they “return from a walk”. Van Opstal has an evident sense of cheek, broadcast voice-of-God-style across the scene-descripting supertitles, which adds a real charm to the production.

The use of engaging graphic design for these supertitles managed to abate any boredom from constant reading; rather than seemingly like mere necessity, they were made into an important creative aspect of the show. Despite minor faults in translation plaguing the second half, which was rather too literal and abrasive, the supertitles were cohesive and well-located to avoid any disruption to the viewing experience.

Staging the piece in traverse, with performers awaiting their turns at each side, was an excellent creative challenge; impressively, there were very few moments where we seemed to be missing any action. The simplicity of the set – simply wooden flooring with a few curtains – provided the performers with the perfect backdrop to play upon. The sound of their running, crawling, shaking, and dancing on the echoing wood, made so impactful by the silence it cut through.

Leirens’ Masja was the fantastic leader of this noise-making, performative excess; with a marvellous way of moving across the stage, she was the opening signal that silence brings out a fantastic physicality in performance. When dialogue is mediated through gestures, movement becomes incredibly emotive and impactful. Whether in the charming comedy of Willy Thomas’ Dorn or real vulnerability of Yousra Boukantar’s Nina, their performances were a splendid ode to the power of non-verbal communication.

From Sofie Decleir’s entrance, as Arkadina, her character was absolutely unmistakable. This is thanks in part to Monique Van Hassel spot-on, expressive costuming. The energy which Decleir brought to her role was incomparable; she was fantastically snobbish, incredibly funny and, still, absolutely natural. Further, she seems to have the unique ability to bring other actor’s performances to life when they’re with her; whether her and Trigorin’s (Serge Vlerick) gorgeous show of love or Konstantin’s (Yana Wuytjens) regression as she bandages him sweetly, she was the common denominator across the most resonant and impactful scenes.

After a rather too elongated set change, we approach the final act with trepidation. Wutjens captivating introduction primes us for scenes with little translation. This is a fantastic device for landing the emotional impact: of the devastation wrought by misunderstanding and failed communication. Sound, of a ticking down to gunshot, is again used masterfully to land the concluding gut punch: a masterful ending to a wholly intelligent and well-considered piece.

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