Review Anniversary Sayapa: Chekhov Classic Buried Under Unnecessary Experimentation
3 min read
Shimla June 12 Ritanjali Hastir
Blending two of Anton Chekhov’s celebrated works—The Anniversary and The Lottery Ticket—into a single stage production is an ambitious idea, but Anniversary Sayapa, adapted in Pahari and directed by Kapil, struggles under the weight of its own concept.
The production’s biggest mistake is attempting to merge The Anniversary with Chekhov’s short story The Lottery Ticket. One is a fast-moving theatrical farce, the other an introspective psychological tale. They simply do not belong together. Instead of enriching the narrative, the lottery subplot repeatedly interrupts the play’s momentum, leaving the audience wondering why it was introduced in the first place. The adaptation ends up weakening both stories rather than celebrating either.
The pacing suffers from the very beginning. The opening stretches on much longer than necessary, delaying the actual conflict. A farce survives on speed and precision; here, scenes linger well beyond their dramatic value. A tighter edit could easily have cut several minutes without affecting the story, and the production would have been far more engaging as a result.
The staging also raises questions. The bank clerk’s desk is equipped with a typewriter and the characters clearly work on laptop, so the presence of a typewriter on stage appears completely redundant. It is never used meaningfully, nor does it serve any symbolic purpose. Instead, it becomes an unnecessary prop that clutters the visual design and reflects a lack of clarity in the production’s aesthetic choices.
A noticeable distraction occurs when one of the lottery-ticket buyers enters the bank with one shoe while the other foot is bare. It appears less like a deliberate creative choice and more like a costume or continuity lapse, momentarily breaking the audience’s immersion.
Ironically, the production’s sharpest comic moments are not found in the script itself but in the actors’ interaction with the light and sound operators. These brief exchanges feel spontaneous, well-timed and genuinely entertaining, offering flashes of the wit that the rest of the production struggles to sustain.
The portrayal of the old man is one of the production’s weakest links. His motivations remain muddled from start to finish, and the character never acquires the clarity or purpose needed to justify his presence on stage.
Adhiraj works hard as the harassed bank manager, delivering a sincere and committed performance despite being weighed down by an inconsistent script. His effort is evident, but even an earnest performance cannot compensate for a production that lacks structural discipline. Shruti, portraying Mrs. Kiran, has an average outing. While she handles the role competently, the performance lacks the flair, comic timing and commanding stage presence the character demands. It is not among her strongest performances and falls short of leaving a lasting impression.
The only moment that truly wins over the audience comes after the play has effectively ended. The concluding Nati performance provides warmth, energy and a sense of celebration that is missing from much of the preceding drama. It is telling that the evening’s biggest applause is reserved not for the play itself but for its finale.
Anniversary Sayapa is ultimately a reminder that adaptation requires judgement as much as creativity. Chekhov’s The Anniversary already possesses everything needed for an entertaining evening of theatre. By overcomplicating it with an unrelated story, unnecessary visual gimmicks and an undisciplined structure, the production sacrifices coherence for experimentation. Sometimes the bravest directorial decision is knowing what to leave untouched.
