Three Sisters [Abbey Theatre]

[By Anton Chekhov, In a version by Brian Friel]

Olga, Masha and Irina are three sisters who share the same burning desire … to return to Moscow, the city of their birth.

Trapped in a provincial town deep in the Russian countryside, after the death of their army father, they dream of a life in the city: a whirl of glamour, stimulation and love.

As the years pass, will they succumb to a life of quiet desperation and compromise? Or will they find a way to escape and fulfill their dream?

Chekhov’s great drama of ideals and illusions is brought to life in this luminous and touching version by Brian Friel. Renowned for his affinity with Chekhov, who has influenced so much of his work, it is an act of love and homage.

Acclaimed international director David Leveaux makes his Abbey Theatre debut with this production.]

[words from http://www.abbeytheatre.ie]

For Three Sisters I was asked to create the impression of the silhouette of a bird being frightened and flying upwards. The catch was that the bird silhouette was to appear on a table cloth as it was being thrown up in the air by two actors just before they lay it upon the table. The sequence ended up being only 2 seconds and the timing of the cue had to be perfect. It is the shortest video piece I have produced for a production so far but was deceptively tricky. I loved the idea of it and it ended up being really subtle and effective – like many of the other little bird allusions and flourishes that director David Leveaux added through sound and set.

[Set and costume design - Mike Britton]
[Lighting design - Brian MacDevitt]
[Sound design - Denis Clohessy]