Married to Anna Petrovna, who is fast fading from tuberculosis, and drowning in debt, Ivanov finds himself paralysed by life’s mounting pressures. Over the course of four gripping acts, this ordinary man – a middling landowner in central Russia – unravels into a spiral of melancholy and self-destruction. Tossed between moments of comic absurdity and crushing despair, this unlikely anti-hero takes us on a riveting journey through the tangled depths of the human soul. Chekhov penned Ivanov in just ten days, aged 27. It was 1887 and his youthful urgency breathes fire into this first major work, where tragedy and comedy entwine with aching intimacy. Jean-François Sivadier – writer, actor and director – brings his unmistakable theatrical voice to this raw and daring production. With a blend of seasoned actors and new companions, he rekindles Chekhov’s blazing intensity. Guided by the words of one of the greatest poets ever to grace the stage, this production resonates deeply with Gustav Mahler’s credo: « Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. »