Children of the Sun at Sydney Opera House

Following on from his adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, Andrew Upton's new adaptation of Maxim Gorky's Children of the Sun takes a fresh, colloquial look at the human condition.

In a rambling mansion in provincial Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, a sister, a brother, their partners and admirers pursue their intimate intrigues oblivious to bigger new realities brewing at their door. A family born to privilege but bound for dysfunction.

Protasov might be the man of the house, but, even when he lifts his eyes from his chemistry set, he is blind to his wife's infidelities, his friend's advances and his sister's quiet despair. In something of a casting coup, three of our most treasured actresses - Justine Clarke (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), Jacqueline McKenzie (Sex with Strangers) and Helen Thomson (Mrs Warren's Profession) - form a formidable trio around our hero, as outside the propulsive energy of revolution reaches a crescendo.

Both a sparkling comedy and a thoughtful exploration of the larger issues of privilege, progress and being caught at the wrong end of history, Children of the Sun captures the atmosphere of upheaval of its era - with more than a fleeting resonance to our own troubled times.