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 Cherry Orchard In the darkness, Firs wanders into the room and discovers that they have left without him and boarded him inside the abandoned house to die. He lies down on the couch and resigns himself to this fate (apparently dying on the spot). Offstage we hear the axes as they cut down the cherry orchard. One of the main themes of the play is the effect social change has on people. The emancipation of the serfs on 19 February 1861 by Alexander II allowed former serfs to gain wealth and status while some aristocrats were becoming impoverished, unable to tend their