Ivanov

Summary

1966 Associated Television production for ITV of Ivanov by Anton Chekhov. This was a presentation of John Gielgud’s adaptation of the play which ran for over a hundred performances in the West End in the 1965-66 season and many of the cast from the stage production feature in this television production.

Theatre play

Ivanov by Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) [more information]

Play synopsis

'Anna has renounced her [Jewish] faith and family to marry Ivanov. But his love for her has faded. Now she is ill - and he is on the verge of suicide. Only Sasha - beautiful daughter of Ivanov’s friend - offers him hope of a new beginning’ (TV Times, 28 July 1961, p. 25).

Production history

First staged in 1887. Re-written for performance in St Petersburg in 1889.

Date of transmission

Monday 21 March 1966

Time

9.53-11.23pm

Series

Play of the Week

Channel

ITV

Production company

Associated Television (ATV, 1955-1982)

Credits

Director

Graham Evans

Producer

Cecil Clarke

Adapted for the Stage by

John Gielgud

Playwright

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904)

Adapted for Television by

John Bowen

Translator

Ariadne Nicolaeff

Designer

Henry Graveney

Cast

Edward Atienza	Count Shabelsky
Angela Baddeley	Madame Lebedev
Claire Bloom	Sasha
Helen Christie	Babakina
Roland Culver	Lebedev
David Evans	Kosykh
John Gielgud	Ivanov
Paul Gillard	Second Young Man
Michael Kent	Gavrila
David Lyell	Ivanov’s Servant
Yvonne Mitchell	Anna
Carolyn Montagu	Lebedev’s Maid
David Neal	Third Young Man
Nora [or Norah] Nicholson	Avdotva
Richard Pasco (1926-)	Dr Lvov
Ronald Radd	Borkin
Pamela Ruddock	Young Girl
John Trigger	First Young Man
Molly Veness	Old Lady

Additional details

Play tags

19th-century setting; Russian drama

Print sources

Title

TV Times, 17 March 1966 (Magazine)

Linking notes

long article, pp. 7-8; listing, p. 37