Alexander Valentinovich Vampilov (19 August 1937 - 17 August 1972) was a Soviet playwright who is often called “Chekhov of the modern times”. His best known works are Last Summer in Chulimsk, Duck Hunting, Elder Son and Farewell in June. Many of his plays have been filmed and televised in Russia. Vampilov emerged as one of the principal figures in the generation of dramatists who came to prominence following the death of Stalin. He reached the height of his popularity in the seventies and the first half of the eighties, but the process had already begun in his own lifetime.
Vampilov made his debut as a playwright with the publication of The House with a View to the Field in the November(1964) issue of Theatre.
In 1967 Farewell in June had over 700 performances in fourteen theatres, and it continued to be frequently produced in the following years. The Elder Son, published in 1968 under the title The Suburb in the journal Angara, enjoyed even greater success and by 1971 was one of the leaders of the season playing in twenty-eight different theatres with more than a thousand performances that year. The fate of two other plays was somewhat different, both Duck Hunting and Last Summer in Chulimsk gained recognition only belatedly, after Vampilov’s death.
The House with a View to the Field (Translation and adaptation by Natasha Radski) is a short romantic comedy. Vladimir Tretyakov has been working in a remote Soviet village as a geography teacher for three years. On the last day of his assignment, he pops in to say goodbye to Lidia Astafieva, who is the head of the local milk farm and an activist. He sees the view from her window, which he hadn’t noticed before. Will they find something in common despite their class and social differences?
Director Daniel Austin-Boyd
Daniel trained in Theatre Directing at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. His previous directing credits include RENT at Moyse Hall, Montreal, Blithe Spirit at TNC Theatre, Montreal, Grampa's Voice and the Toronto Fringe Festival and It's A Long Walk Home Tonight and The Bread and Roses, London.
Lidia Astafieva is played by Natasha Radski
Natasha trained in acting at Drama Studio London. Her theatre credits include: Lucile in Love and the Piano at Greenwich Playhouse, Ivonne in My Wife's Dead Mother at Greenwich Playhouse, Antigone in Antigone, Tehuti Theatre Production, Mrs. Vicks in An Enemy of The People at Union
Theatre, Irina in Suzanna at Lion and Unicorn. Natasha’s TV roles include: Mrs. Kominski in Citizen Khan on BBC, Daga in Damned series on Channel 4, Caretaker in “Rev” on BBC, Magda in Sir David Croft’s last project “Here Comes the Queen”, sitcom pilot. Natasha has also extensively worked on BBC4 radio drama.
Vladimir Tretyakov is played by Thomas Schneesche
Thomas graduated from the Dramatic Arts School at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil (EAD-ECA-USP) and studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Studio in Los Angeles. He participated in several plays at the "Laboratory Theatre" (EAD-ECA-USP), playing different characters including Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and Melchior in Spring Awakening.
His theatre credits include: Bras Cubas in Mamorias Postumas de Bras Cubas, Gato Malhado in Gato Malhado e Andorinha Sinha at Santa Maria Theatre, Recife, Brazil and Fire Chief in The Bald Soprano at Rumbolt Theatre.