These three newly adapted texts by Chekhov make for a fully-integrated theatrical evening, though they may be played separately. ‘The Harm in Tobacco’ is a satirical monologue that makes a fresh blend of Chekhov’s first and final versions (these date from 1886 and 1901). It shows how, in a stuffy public lecture, the private anxieties of a downtrodden speaker can burst through with withering force. ‘Betrothed’ is a part-narrated, part-enacted adaptation of Chekhov’s last story (dating from 1903). The tender young Nadya is betrothed to Andrey. Yet she can face neither the prospect of her marriage nor the small-town life it entails. So, she flees to the big city to start a life of her own (as she thinks).  ‘Thieves’ (dating from 1890) is set in the lowest level of Russian society and is as spirited as it is brutal. Yergunov, a windy middle-aged doctor’s assistant, stumbles into an inn during a snow storm, where he meets the pious Kalashnikov and the suave Merik. These two men will not only steal his horse but also turn on the two women who happily tend them. The Triptych pushes the boundaries of Chekhov’s stagecraft, and should entertain, move and startle its audiences.