The Seagull review: Cate Blanchett and star cast impress in Chekhov reimagining

That's how Zachary Hart (who plays Simon Medvedenko) opens Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, adapted by German director Thomas Ostermeier, at the Barbican Theatre.

The Seagull is a play written by Russian dramatist Chekhov in 1895 and first produced in 1896, and theatre goers worldwide have been delighted by the production ever since; its last London performance was at the National Theatre in 2022, and it starred Emilia Clarke as Nina.

So by now, the theatre lovers of London are familiar with the story: melodramatic theatre actress Irina Arkádina (Cate Blanchett) and her lover, famous writer Alexander Trigorin (Tom Burke), arrive from the city to the countryside to be greeted by Irina's brother Peter Sorin (Jason Watkins), whose health is failing, and her troubled son, Konstantin Treplev (Kodi Smit-McPhee).

The play begins with a play; director Konstantin and his muse Nina Zaréchnaya (Emma Corrin) perform to an audience made up of his family and their friends. What follows is an exploration of fame, love, happiness, and the meaning of art.

From the first line, The Seagull invites the audience in and forces us to reflect. The production is strikingly aware of itself, but that only makes it more brilliant, particularly as a drawback to a show like this could be the celebrity status of its glittery ensemble.

The audience is forced to reflect – not least when the lights turn on in the Barbican theatre and Burke's Trigorin asks us what we're doing here – on the play's themes in relation to the characters and ourselves, but also to the actors playing the characters.

The fourth wall is broken numerous times throughout, and the actors allude to being actors on stage, perhaps most prominently when Blanchett removes her microphone and repeats her lines. Blanchett and Corrin's are theatre actors in the play and in real life, and at one moment in the show Blanchett sighs "It was press night" in relation to her character's show but also to the show we were currently watching. However, while we were forced to acknowledge we were an audience watching a play, it didn't take me out of the story itself.

Ostermeier's The Seagull did an excellent job at pressuring the audience to consider the theatre at large; when Trigorin tells the audience the world needs more Nelson Mandelas and Marsha P Johnsons, not theatre goers, and Konstantin exclaims theatre is for the elite, it makes you wonder why those messages still land today.

I'm always in awe of the Barbican and how it holds space for so many events such as theatre shows, art exhibitions, and concerts. Magda Willi's set design is fantastic — it's simple and modern, with a splash of chairs and small cornfield.

Buy The Seagull tickets from £83.40 at LOVEtheatre

When and where can I see The Seagull with Cate Blanchett at the Barbican?

We'd encourage anyone who hasn't yet experienced The Seagull to head to the Barbican Theatre to watch it.

The Seagull is performing for a limited time only from now until Saturday 5th April 2025, and you can find the Barbican Theatre on Silk Street, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8DS.

Buy The Seagull tickets from £83.40 at LOVEtheatre

How do I get The Seagull Barbican tickets?

There are still tickets available for The Seagull, however, due to the stellar cast, limited-time run, and high-demand, ticket prices are quite expensive from £83.40 at LOVEtheatre. The Going Out team have awarded this show four/five stars, and we would recommend purchasing tickets if you're able.

Buy The Seagull tickets from £83.40 at LOVEtheatre

Take a look at more brilliant productions in our best West End shows guide.