Howick Little Theatre invites you to a weekend of sibling rivalry, psychic warnings, and one truly misguided costume party in its season of the award-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a wildly funny and unexpectedly poignant exploration of middle-aged malaise, fractured family ties, and the eternal drama of unmet expectations.
Think Chekhov meets modern dysfunction, but with a touch more glitter.
Set in a quiet farmhouse in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the play follows Vanya and Sonia, two siblings who’ve spent their adult lives caring for their now-deceased parents.
Their quiet routine is abruptly interrupted when their glamorous, self-absorbed movie-star sister Masha arrives unannounced, with her much-younger boyfriend Spike in tow and plans to sell the house.
What follows is a weekend of theatrical chaos featuring surprise declarations, an eccentric housekeeper with prophetic visions, impromptu Shakespearean monologues, and a costume party that spins out of control.
Underneath the comedic surface, the play offers a heartfelt meditation on family, regret, and the struggle to find meaning in a changing world.
Director Tracey Holdsworth returns to the Howick Little Theatre mainstage after her acclaimed 2023 production of Old Love, bringing with her a sharp eye for emotional nuance and a love of richly drawn characters.
“It’s a quirky and clever play where Chekhovian characters and themes are put through a blender,” Holdsworth says.
“You’ll see influences of Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Seagull, but you don’t need to be a Chekhov scholar to enjoy this heartfelt story.”
The cast features Mark Bishop as world-weary Vanya, Jo Crichton as his volatile and heartbroken sister Sonia, and Emma Love as their high-drama sister Masha.
They’re joined by Ethan Carruthers as the eager-to-please Spike, Stephanie McIntyre as the sweet-natured Nina, and Cristine Della Barca as Cassandra, the scene stealing housekeeper with a flair for both the dramatic and the apocalyptic.
This production also pays tribute to playwright Christopher Durang, who passed away early in 2024.
Known for his absurdist wit and fearless exploration of modern anxieties, Durang’s work remains as timely as ever.
This production celebrates his legacy by balancing farce with real feeling, holding up a cracked mirror to the chaos of family life.
Whether you’re in it for the laughs, the pathos, or the shirtless scenes, this is a theatrically awkward weekend that is not to be missed.
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike plays until July 26 at Howick Little Theatre.
Tickets are available online at www.hlt.nz/vanya or through iTICKET by calling 09 361 1000.
Tickets: $33 standard, $30 seniors, $30 Actors’ Equity, $19 students.
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