Doctor Chekhov

"If you wish to become an optimist and understand life, stop believing what people say and write. Observe and discover for yourself." Anton Chekhov.

9 short but outstanding stories by Chekhov are united into one play, and connected with excellent music by Boris Yakshov and by the image of the writer himself. His philosophic speculations about life which are so simple and easy to understand serve more as an epigraph to the stories rather than comments. "… The happiness and joy of life, - says Doctor Chekhov, - does not involve money or love, but the truth. If you want to have animal happiness, life still will not let you get drunk and be happy, it will keep on hitting you over the head. Life does not comply with philosophy: there is no happiness without idleness, only things that we do not need really please us. Oh, if only education could be added to diligence and diligence could be added to education…" The stories presented in unconventional literature and dramatic form are witty sketches, funny situations that fully present the contradictory and varied nature of the Russian people and their lives which are still on the front burner.

The Russian Theatre-Studio which presents its new play in Ireland, for the first time, was founded in Budapest in 1997 at the initiative of the actress, teacher and director, Zinaida Zikherman-Sokolova, who united actors of various nationalities all driven by their love for the theatre and Russian culture. Zinaida Zikherman is the leader and the director of the Budapest Russian Theatre-Studio. For the jubilee of Chekhov she combined several early stories of the writer in the play "Doctor Chekhov" as she did several years ago for the play by Chekhov "Laughter and tears…". The Russian Theatre-Studio started its work with this play. The director has made another successful choice this time as well. Due to her discriminating theatrical taste and talented actors the play is exciting, fast-moving and filled with an energy that grips audience from the very first minute and does not let go until the last moment.