Everything you need to know about ‘Vanya’ starring Andrew Scott

The Fleabag and Sherlock star returns to the New York stage to reprise his award-winning performance from London in the one-man adaptation of Chekhov's drama.

Vanya is a new spin on Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya, a seminal 1897 play about regret and the endless search for the meaning of life. This one-man adaptation, penned by Simon Stephens, gets the star treatment with Andrew Scott, who portrays all eight emotionally complex characters.

The production comes off Broadway to the Lucille Lortel Theatre following a critically acclaimed 2023 run at London’s Duke of York's Theatre. London Theatre’s Vanya review celebrated Scott’s performance: “You won’t find a more remarkable actor doing a more remarkable piece of theatre anywhere in the West End.”

You don’t want to miss Scott, a theatre veteran, bringing the cast of characters to life from March 11 to May 4 only. Learn more about Vanya below, and get your tickets today.

Get Vanya tickets now.

What is Vanya about?

Vanya is an adaptation of the classic play Uncle Vanya, Anton Chekhov’s reflection on disillusionment and the purpose of life. The play follows a group of characters living on a rural estate in the Russian countryside, centering on Uncle Vanya. He feels like he wasted his life serving his late mother’s former husband, Professor Serebryakov, the owner of the estate. The residents are entangled in a web of unrequited love and longing.

Where is Vanya playing?

Vanya will play at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, an Off-Broadway theatre located at 121 Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village. Recent productions at the 299-seat theatre have been similarly star-studded: Hold On To Me Darling with Adam Driver; Cole Escola's breakout hit Oh, Mary!; and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, starring Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott.

How long is Vanya?

The production runs 2 hours and 45 minutes, with one intermission.

What days is Vanya playing?

From March 11 to May 4, 2025, Vanya plays eight performances a week at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with two performances on Wednesday and Saturday and no Monday performances. Visit the Vanya page for a complete weekly performance schedule.

When did Vanya premiere?

Vanya begins its off Broadway run on March 11, 2025, but the play premiered in 2023 at Duke of York's Theatre in London to critical acclaim. Its source material, however, is much older — Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya was published in 1897 and first staged in Moscow in 1899.

Who wrote Vanya?

Vanya is adapted by Simon Stephens, who reimagined Anton Chekhov's classic play Uncle Vanya, penned in 1897. Stephens is a Tony Award winner for Best Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The British-Irish playwright’s other plays include Punk Rock, Harper Regan, Birdland, Sea Wall, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, and The Red Lion.

Vanya characters

The ensemble of characters in Vanya, all played by Andrew Scott, are discontent and longing for more.

• Uncle Vanya: Bitter and resentful, he believes he wasted his life managing the estate of his late mother's former husband, a professor. Uncle Vanya has unrequited feelings for Yelena, the professor’s new wife.
• Yelena: The beautiful, much younger wife of the professor who stirs emotions on the estate.
• Astrov: A doctor who reflects on the state of the world and the environment seeking meaning in his work.
• Professor Serebryakov: The self-absorbed owner of the estate who is detached from reality.
• Sonya: Vanya’s hopeful niece who longs for love and harbors unreturned feelings for Astrov.
• Marina: The elderly governess of the household.
• Telegin: Also known as Waffles, this bumbling character is a local landowner with feelings for Sonya.
• The Chauffeur: A background character who works at the estate.

Who is in the cast of Vanya?

Andrew Scott is the sole actor in Vanya, playing every role. Scott is best known for his star turns as the Hot Priest in the TV hit Fleabag (Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series), Moriarty in Sherlock (BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor), and Tom Ripley in Ripley (Emmy nomination).

Scott returns to the one-man show after performing a sold-out run of Vanya at the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End. His other recent London theatre credits include Present Laughter and Hamlet. In 2006, he made his Broadway debut in The Vertical Hour.

How many roles does Andrew Scott play in Vanya?

In the solo play Vanya, Scott plays all eight roles from Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya: the title character, his niece, a professor, the professor's wife, a doctor, a governess, a neighbor, and a chauffeur.

What awards has Vanya won?

Vanya’s London production, directed by Sam Yates, won several awards, including the Olivier Award and the WhatsOnStage Awards for Best Revival. Scott won Best Actor at the Critics' Circle and Evening Standard Awards.

The original Uncle Vanya has also been nominated for dozens of Tonys, Oliviers, and more over the years in various categories, from performance to design and more.

Major productions of Vanya

Before its New York debut, Vanya captivated audiences in London, and the original Uncle Vanya cemented its place in theatre history. Here’s a timeline of the show’s productions:

• 1899 Uncle Vanya premiere: Anton Chekhov's original Uncle Vanya debuts with the Moscow Art Theatre.
• 2023 London premiere: Simon Stephens's one-man adaptation, Vanya, premieres at London’s Duke of York's Theatre in the West End in 2023. This production was filmed by National Theatre Live and continues to show at cinemas around the world.
• 2025 New York premiere: Vanya begins performances off Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on March 11, 2025, with Andrew Scott reprising his award-winning performance from London.

Fun facts about Vanya

Check out some more fun facts about Vanya’s journey to New York.

• Along with Scott, multiple other people will hop across the pond with Vanya: co-creator and adaptor Simon Stephens, designer Rosanna Vize, and director Sam Yates.
• Scott, Stephens, Vize, and Yates were all part of the show from the get-go, sharing ideas for the characters and collaborating through WhatsApp voice messages.
• The show features a one-man sex scene performed, of course, by Andrew Scott.
• Scott and Stephens have a long working relationship. Scott starred in Stephens’ plays Sea Wall in 2018 and Birdland in 2014, both in London.

How to get Vanya tickets

This adaptation brings new life to Chekhov’s 127-year-old play, and Andrew Scott’s tour-de-force performance is not one to miss.

Get Vanya tickets now.

Photo credit: Andrew Scott in Vanya in London. (Photos by Marc Brenner)