IRISH theatre company Dead Centre get it dead right with a truly outstanding peace of original entertainment.

The poster features a character in period costume sitting at a posh dinner table while above her a wrecking ball crashes into a Russian summer house wall.

This image sets the scene for a production where you literally gate-crash the Chekov canon.

I never thought I'd be so gripped by the Russian literary great who gave the world such philosophical dramas as Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard and The Seagull.

These are complex, deep works that caused me plenty of headaches at school and later when I studied literature as a mature student in Oxford.

Chekov's plays are still being performed across the world.Yet you don't hear that much about his first play ... now we do.

All his works are hinted at in Anton's stodgy first work written when he was approaching nineteen.

This 75-minute production uses so much ingenuity, special effects, irreverence and surrealism to make you think about Chekov in a whole new light.

It is the first time, in 40 years as a reviewer, that I have watched a performance sporting headphones - just like the rest of the audience.

This device is more than a clever novelty as the director of the actual play and the play-within-a-play tells us how he will provide live commentary to help us what is going on as the drama proceeds.

And that is all you need to know as the whole piece is dismantled by a seven strong cast and a little help from one member of the audience before your eyes and ears.

There is some folk music and a very famous pop song too.

Intrigued? You will be.

I won't give too much away, suffice to say this is a piece of theatre that will leave you with a smile on your face and may even have you digging out a copy of Uncje Vanya for fun.

Check out this Chekhov - four stars

The production is on until Saturday.

Tickets from the box office on 0151 709 4776