Regards to Broadway from West End directors

(Getty)

The last few years have seen a veritable flock of Seagulls land on the stage with varying degrees of success.

Ian Rickson's production of Chekhov's tragicomedy – the crowning glory of the Royal Court's 50th anniversary celebrations last year – was widely deemed to be the best of the bunch, with Kristin Scott Thomas scooping the Olivier Award for Best Actress for her languid, aristocratic Arkadina. Now Scott Thomas and other members of the original cast are preparing for a Broadway run in September.

So whatever happened to a much-desired West End run? Blame the actors. "They wanted to go to New York," according to the theatre's artistic director, Dominic Cooke. The cast apparently felt they had effectively "done the West End" by performing at the Royal Court where "they're already eligible for Oliviers". Which begs the question – since when was theatre about eligibility for awards?