“an engaging night of theatre” – The Spy In The Stalls – 8th August 2025 by Violet Howson
‘Shaw vs Chekhov’, directed by Jonas Cemm, forms the next instalment of theatre company SHAW2020’s ‘Shaw Versus’ series, in which George Bernard Shaw’s work is performed in conjunction with a play written by a contemporary. In this case: Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Proposal’ is paired with Shaw’s ‘Village Wooing’. It’s a charming double-billing, but also a good reminder that not everything a great writer writes is necessarily great.
First up was ‘The Proposal’, a thirty-minute play in which Joe Sargent’s Ivan intends to propose to Maryann O’Brien’s Natalya, but spends the duration of his time bent over in a bizarre mish mash of pains and heart palpitations, all the while bickering consistently with his nuptial victim-to-be. Lavish costumes and impressive set complemented accomplished performances, especially from O’Brien who remained strong throughout. Chekhov’s ‘Proposal’ is probably never going to rival his ‘Three Sisters’, but it still maintained glimmers of his characteristic charm. Anthony Wise as Natalya’s befuddled father Stepan was also adorable. The latter piece in this double-bill was Shaw’s ‘Village Wooing’, a two-hander less hampered by heart palpitations. Village Wooing follows a pompous writer of well-known travel guides, and his enemy-to-lover assailant, who insists upon conversing with him, to his understandable aggravation. Upon a pleasure ship together, they enter a reluctant but gradually warm conversation, then part for soup, only to be reunited in the village shop in which O’Brien’s character works. By some inexplicable course, said pompous man ends up running the shop and romance follows closely behind….
SHAW2020 Theatre Company 