Exclusive: Rachel O'Riordan and Gary Owen to work on new The Cherry Orchard

Director Rachel O'Riordan and writer Gary Owen are to work together again on a new version of The Cherry Orchard.

This is the first time the duo have worked on an existing classic. Their two last collaborations were Killology, due to open this month at the Royal Court, and the award-winning Iphigenia in Splott which ran at the Sherman Theatre, the National Theatre and toured the UK.

The Cherry Orchard will run at the Sherman Theatre in October and will be a 'radical reimagining' of Chekhov's play.

O'Riordan said: "Chekhov is one of the great playwrights. His ability to articulate human interaction, with all its flaws and misunderstandings, makes him a natural writer for Gary Owen to adapt."

Owen's take on the piece will transpose the original from the turn of the 20th century in Russia to early '80s Britain where Thatcher is on the rise. It is set in a manor house on the Pembrokeshire coast where mother Rainey returns to face family troubles.

The Cherry Orchard runs at Sherman Theatre from 17 to 28 October with previews from 13 October.