Uncle Vanya

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), Russian physician, dramatist and author, is considered to be one of the greatest writers of short stories and modern drama. Born in Taganrog, a port town near the Black Sea, he attended medical school at Moscow University. He began writing to supplement his income, writing short humorous sketches of contemporary Russian life. A successful literary careered followed, before his premature death of TB at the age of 44. He is best-remembered for his four dramatic masterpieces: The Seagull (1896), Uncle Vanya (1899), Three Sisters (1901) and The Cherry Orchard (1904). David Lan was born in Cape Town where he trained as an actor. He moved to London in 1972, and has been artistic director of the Young Vic since 2000. He won an Olivier Award for the 2004 Young Vic season. Other awards include the John Whiting award, The George Orwell award and the Zurich International TV Prize.