The Yard to stage reimagining of The Cherry Orchard, set in space

The Yard Theatre in east London will stage a new adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard later this year, in a co-production with English Touring Theatre (ETT) and HOME.

Penned by Vinay Patel (Doctor Who, An Adventure), the new version of the play (from a translation by Helen Rappaport) completely transforms its setting, now telling the tale of a group of humans on an old starship travelling through space in search of a new planet to call home.

James Macdonald (A Doll's House, Part 2) directs the new adaptation, which runs in London from 5 September to 22 October. It features design by Rosie Elnile, lighting by Jai Morjaria and sound by Max Pappenheim.

The Cherry Orchard is also part of HOME Manchester's new season, where it runs from 2 to 19 November 2022.

Other new additions to ETT's new season include an 80th anniversary staging of Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan, in a new version adapted by Nina Segal with Anthony Lau directing as part of a predominately East Asian cast and creative team. ETT will co-produce with Sheffield Theatres and the Lyric Hammersmith, with both venues hosting runs in Spring 2023 before touring nationally.

Also announced today is Mixed, a monologue project of new pieces for mixed race characters by mixed race writers. Curated by Ben Quashie, writers in the series include Javaad Alipoor, Jade Anouka, Lydia Ayame Hiraide, Mei Mei Macleod, Sabrina Mahfouz, Grace Savage, Testament and Jamael Westman, with more to be announced and set to be published in 2023.

There will also be a second series of F**ked Up Bedtime Stories (for Adults), a new writing podcast commissioned and produced by ETT; writers include Chris Bush, Kwame Owusu and Yasmin Joseph. And Adult Children, a virtual reality dramatic experience co-created by Ella Hickson, Sacha Wares and ScanLAB Projects, will run at the Oxford Playhouse in September.

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