Fiennes to star in Chekhov`s play

Los Angeles: Ralph Fiennes is planning to appear onstage in `Dear Uncle`, a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov`s play `Uncle Vanya`. The new adaptation by British playwright Alan Aychbourn will see the story shifting from Russia to Britain`s Lake District in 1935. Fiennes is likely to play the role based on Astrov.

Slated for summer 2011, the project will continue the partnership of producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers with helmer Matthew Warchus, whose productions include Tony winners `Art` and `God of Carnage`, the Daily Variety reported. Author of 73 plays, Ayckbourn has long regarded Chekhov`s original as his favourite play. "I don`t want it to be another West End production in a traditional theatre. `The Norman Conquests` worked very successfully in-the-round and we`re looking to find somewhere different where we could do that shape again," Pugh said. No further casting has been confirmed. "It`s sufficiently far off for us to to get a star for every part," Pugh said. Names mentioned so far include Ken Stott in the title role, with Kristin Scott Thomas and Carey Mulligan of `An Education`), the latter two having played both London and Gotham in Chekhov`s `The Seagull`. PTI