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Chekhov Comedy Shorts

Chekhov Comedy Shorts

1 Season2010TheaterPG, TV-PG

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This star-studded series of comedies and farces celebrates the life and work of renowned Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Chekhov has entered the pantheon of great writers since his death in 1904, yet his plays are still largely regarded as grim records of human suffering. Now, a group of acclaimed British comedians are out to prove he can be extremely funny. These adaptations reveal a dramatist who finds great joy in the broad comedy of human nature. The one-act play "On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco," sees Steve Coogan portray Ivan Ivanovich Nyukhin, while MacKenzie Crook co-stars with Johnny Vegas in "A Reluctant Tragic Hero."

Theater

Episodes — Chekhov Comedy Shorts: Season 1

Reluctant Tragic Hero
1

Reluctant Tragic Hero

A request for sympathy turns into a scream for blood in a Chekhov masterpiece starring Jonny Vegas.

24m•Director: Christine Gernon
The Bear
2

The Bear

Death, love, and then possibly death again feature in Chekhov’s seminal farce “The Bear.”

24m•Director: Christine Gernon
The Dangers of Tobacco and the Proposal
3

The Dangers of Tobacco and the Proposal

“Chekhov: Comedy Shorts” concludes with a double-bill of farce featuring two famous faces from “Gavin & Stacey.”

36m•Director: Christine Gernon

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