Play review - "The Seagull" by Chekov

This is philistinic of me to admit, I know, but I didn't like this much when I first read it, the first two acts, anyway - but the third act really started to kick in with Kostya whining at the state of the world and the equiv of baby boomers, I re read it and really liked it. Despite all the Russian names and talk of roubles and country estates and being a civil servant, which turned me off, there is a lot that really hit home: the self centred actress, her writer lover constantly battling his own inadequacies and serving his gift, Nina the aspiring self centered actress, the tormented son, everyone loving everyone else, the lure and problems of life in the performing arts. The symbolism of the seagull is a little irritating.