UncleVanyaPlay@unclevanyaplay

“So much of what we do is photoshopped and re-recorded and digitally enhanced that to do something live in front of an audience is... to be treasured.” @RCArmitage
talks to @standardnews about #UncleVanya

Richard Armitage: 'I understand the tragedy of Uncle Vanya after losing my mum'

Robert Dex Zoe Paskett


Oceans 8 star Richard Armitage says it was only after the death of his mother that he felt able to deal with the “tragedy” of his latest stage role.

He is returning to the West End for the first time in six years to act alongside Toby Jones in Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. He will play Doctor Astrov with Jones as the title character, both of whom fall in love with the same woman.

The 48-year-old said the role was one he long wanted to play, adding: “I’ve got quite a shortlist of roles that I want to tackle but this was just sort of co-ordinated with the production and that fact of me being interested.”

He said: “I lost my mum a year ago so I’ve never understood that deep, deep tragedy of this play until now. Astrov is about halfway through his life and I feel that. He is just starting to look back and think: Have I missed my chance at love? My chance to do something really significant with my life?”

Armitage, who started out with the Royal Shakespeare Company, said: “So much of what we do is photoshopped and re-recorded and digitally enhanced that to do something live in front of an audience is... to be treasured.”