Preview: The Proposal and the Bear; Two Short Farces by Chekhov

With Week 5 starting to set in, Cambridge theatre is here to provide an escape from those pending essay deadlines! One play that should be on your I-am-going-to-see-this-instead-of-doing-supo-work list is The Proposal and the Bear; Two Short Farces by Chekhov.

We spoke to director Dylan Evans and producer Jacob Gaskell to find out all about this show and its production!

The Development of the Play

Dylan told us that this play found its beginnings about “4 or 5 months ago” and he was excited to work on a play with such an intimate and small cast. He said that he has found the cast of 3 to be a “very different environment” to the larger productions he has done, but it has given him and the cast a greater opportunity to play around with ideas and to develop their characters. Dylan told us that he has never wanted to “tell people exactly what to do” and this gives him the perfect opportunity to work in tangent with his actors.

Sophie Carlin and Christian Longstaff. Image Credit: Daphne Adam

Dylan and Jacob both emphasised that the key to their rehearsal process so far is making it a “fun experience”, and ensuring that the actors are at the forefront of the show.

The Show itself

This show features two plays but Dylan describes them as being “on the same theme” of love and loss, and the conflict between superficial material values and “deeper romantic desires”. The plays explore how these desires “crash through” everything else.

Tom Shortland. Image Credit: Daphne Adam

Although, Dylan describes the plays as “absurd in so many ways”, he also told us that there is a “materialism and emotion” that transcends the time period in which the plays are set. The plays themselves speak to us today and the same “attitudes still resonate. As Dylan put it, we are not going to remember getting the latest iPhone, but we will remember moments; “materialism doesn’t matter in the long term.”

Challenges

One of the challenges Dylan and Jacob focused on was ensuring that the argumentative nature of these plays differs. Jacob says that the action of the plays “is found in the argument” and the confrontational aspects of the play, but making sure that these vary can be difficult.

Tom Shortland, Christian Longstaff and Sophie Carlin. Image Credit: Daphne Adam

Ultimately, Dylan said that he wants to continue “seeing what the actors and the assistant director bring to it” and overcome these challenges as a team.

A Unique Show

Dylan and Jacob really emphasised that they wanted their plays to “speak for themselves.” They decided to have a minimalist set so as not to “stifle” the space and the actors within it. They are hoping that this bare set and focus on characterisation will make their show a stand out piece.

Good luck to the cast and crew!

Tickets are available here. The show will be running from 9 November to the 13 November 2021!

Cover Image Credit: Daphne Adam