Seagull at Hen and Chickens Theatre

SEAGULL: Nine Women. One Chekhov Classic. A Whole New Perspective.

What She Said Collective brings a bold, all-female reimagining of Chekhov's The Seagull to London's Hen & Chickens Theatre, 18–28 November 2026.

Everyone wants something. Someone else's love. A little recognition. Another beginning.

And in Chekhov's world, wanting something is rarely straightforward.

This November, critically acclaimed What She Said Collective returns to the London stage with Seagull, an exciting all-female reimagining of Anton Chekhov's enduring masterpiece, directed by Julia Stubbs.

Nine women. Nine characters. A world of artistic ambition, impossible desires, bruised egos and tangled relationships.

Set within a theatrical rehearsal room, Seagull brings audiences closer to the creative tensions at the heart of Chekhov's play. Where old forms meet new, artists and lovers collide. Dreams are pursued, hearts are broken, and everyone is desperate for something just beyond their reach.

But what happens when nine women take on every role in one of theatre's great classics?

Rather than changing the characters' genders, the ensemble performs Chekhov's characters as written, with women playing male characters including Konstantin, Trigorin, Sorin and Dorn as men. The result is an opportunity to reconsider familiar relationships, artistic rivalries and struggles for recognition through a distinctly female-led perspective.

Director Julia Stubbs explains:

"What draws me to Seagull is how startlingly contemporary it feels. It's a play about people desperate to create, to be recognised and to be loved. By setting the action in a rehearsal room, we're making the theatricality of the play visible. Our all-female ensemble plays Chekhov's characters as written, inviting audiences to look again at familiar relationships and discover something new in their humanity."

For What She Said Collective, the production is more than a fresh approach to a classic. It reflects the company's commitment to challenging theatrical conventions and creating opportunities for women on stage.

Co-Artistic Directors Lisa Minichiello and Emma Riches say:

"Classic works such as Chekhov have canonically been centred around men. Like Konstantin in the play, we too have a keen need for exploring new forms of art, breaking the mould and trying something revolutionary. By reframing the play through an all-female lens, we are excited to explore power struggles, desire, art forms and identity in a new way."

A company putting women centre stage

Founded in 2023, What She Said Collective has quickly established a reputation for ambitious, collaborative theatre championing women's voices.

Described by London Pub Theatres as "Champions of women in theatre", the company has earned critical acclaim for previous productions including Sparks and Colder Than Here.

• London Theatre 1 praised Sparks as "An unusual and unique play… hilarity and dramatic tension in equal measure."

• Fairy Powered Productions described Colder Than Here as "Poignant, witty and wonderfully acted."

Alongside its productions, the company's (w)Hormones new-writing nights have created further opportunities for women's voices in theatre.

Now, with Seagull, the collective turns its attention to a classic that continues to ask uncomfortable, funny and deeply human questions about who gets to create, who gets to be heard and what happens when our dreams collide with reality.

Meet the ensemble

The production brings together nine performers:

Cici Clarke (Arkadina), Grace Bown (Nina), Emma Riches (Konstantin), Lisa Minichiello (Trigorin), Leonor Lemée (Polina), Mary Tillett (Sorin), Jessamy James (Masha), Astrid Olofsson (Medvedenko) and Patrizia Petrassi (Dorn).

Funny, heartbreaking and full of human contradictions, Seagull is a story about the things we long for, the people we disappoint and the extraordinary lengths we go to in order to be seen.

Chekhov's characters may be more than a century old. Their desires are anything but.

Book your tickets

SEAGULL — after Anton Chekhov

Venue: Hen & Chickens Theatre, Islington, London Dates: 18–28 November 2026 Performances: Tuesday–Saturday, 7:30pm; Saturdays, 3pm Press Night: Friday 20 November, 7:30pm Tickets: £16.50 (plus booking fee)

Book now: https://unrestrictedview.co.uk/events/the-seagull

Directed by: Julia Stubbs Produced by: What She Said Collective Lighting & Sound: Matthew Karmios Graphic Design: Simon Kirk

Discover more: https://www.whatshesaidcollective.co.uk