Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory which, after a spring run in Bristol, transferred to the Barbican Centre in London for a five-week run in the autumn. In May 2004 the company was reborn as a charity as it now continues, named Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory 2004 Limited. This new status allowed charitable donations and an element of subsidy to be sought. In subsequent years the company has produced many more Shakespeare plays, as well as Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" and "Uncle Vanya", and Molière's "The Misanthrope". Jonathan Miller was guest director for a 2008 production of "Hamlet". Polinina Kalinina joined the company as
The Seagull remain a playwright and lead to the overwhelming success of his next endeavor "Uncle Vanya", and indeed to the rest of his dramatic oeuvre. The play takes place on a country estate owned by Sorin, a retired senior civil servant in failing health. He is the brother of the famous actress Arkadina, who has just arrived at the estate for a brief vacation with her lover, the writer Trigorin. Sorin and his guests gather at an outdoor stage to see an unconventional play that Arkadina's son, Konstantin Treplyov, has written and directed. The play-within-a-play features Nina, a young woman who