Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Low Down
Sisters Three is a thoroughly enjoyable piece, written specifically for its setting and performed with great versatility. It’s a celebration of storytelling, sisterhood, and the power of reimagining one’s place in the world. While it may not dig deeply into why Chekhov wrote the sisters as he did, it offers a playful, thought-provoking alternative that will leave audiences pondering the stories we inherit and those we choose to write for ourselves.
Review
Review
In the atmospheric lecture theatre of Summerhall, writer-director Emma Howlett’s reimagining of Chekhov’s Three Sisters unfolds with playful ingenuity. Following Theatre Goose’s successful 2023 show Her Green Hell, this production, tailor-made for this unique space, breathes new life into the classic tale of Olga, Masha, and Irina.
Inside Chekhov’s version, the three sisters are trapped in a cycle of disappointed hopes, heartbreak, and inertia. But this time, they take control of their narrative, escaping Chekhov’s framework to explore the multitude of stories that have been written about women across history and literature.
Howlett’s clever conceit allows the sisters to embark on a whirlwind tour through literary trios of women. From the witches of Macbeth to the Brontë sisters, and even the Sugababes, our heroines try on different narratives like costumes from a magical dressing-up box.
The set design is simple and imaginative. A sprawling cotton backdrop creates an Arabian Nights tent while a giant chest serves as the portal to myriad stories. The lighting design plays a crucial role, with effective use of lights within the box creating an almost magical interior world. Thw whole completed by a striking sound design by Sarah Spencer, that punctuate each episode, guiding the audience through the rapid-fire transitions.
The three performers, Sophie Kean, Abby McCann and Angela Sant’Albano deliver versatile, strong performances, mirroring the relationships of Chekhov’s original while infusing them with contemporary energy. Their playful camaraderie is infectious, embodying a sense of “girl power” that resonates throughout the piece. This playful structure is underscored by Irina’s yearning for change: “I want things to happen to us, not around us,” she laments, pushing her sisters to break free from the roles they’ve been assigned.
Howlett’s writing shines in its ability to weave together disparate narratives, though at times the pace threatens to overwhelm. Some of the sharper, quicker asides risk getting lost in the echoey space – a second viewing might be necessary to catch every nuance.
While the sisters never directly criticize Chekhov, their quest for alternative narratives serves as a subtle commentary on the limited roles often written for women. The piece unfolds as a series of episodes rather than a linear journey, each vignette a “let’s try this one” approach to storytelling.
By the end, when the sisters decide to leave the play they were born into, there is some sense of liberation, if not profound character growth. They walk off into an unknown future, leaving Chekhov with an empty stage – perhaps an image of women reclaiming their narratives.
Sisters Three is a thoroughly enjoyable piece, created for this setting and performed with great versatility. It’s a celebration of storytelling, sisterhood, and the power of reimagining one’s place in the world. While it may not dig deeply into why Chekhov wrote the sisters as he did, it offers a playful, thought-provoking alternative that will leave audiences pondering the stories we inherit and those we choose to write for ourselves.
