YORK Settlement Community Players stalwart Helen Wilson is to direct her third Anton Chekhov production in the city next year.

Open auditions will be held for Uncle Vanya on November 25 from 10am to 1pm and November 28 from 7pm to 10pm at Southlands Church, Bishopthorpe Road, York. Performances will take place at the York Theatre Royal Studio from February 28 to March 10.

Please contact Helensallywilson@aol.com if you wish to book an audition slot. "You will be asked to prepare a speech from a play post-1880 – absolute maximum, four minutes – and be prepared to read with other actors," advises Helen.

Looking forward to completing her hattrick of Chekhov plays, she says: "Uncle Vanya is in many ways a play ahead of its time since there's a character in it who's concerned about deforestation and its effect on the environment. It's far from being an earnest play, though. A poignant comedy best describes it."

Helen previously directed Settlement's productions of Chekhov's The Three Sisters at the York Theatre Royal Studio in March 2010 and The Cherry Orchard at Friargate Theatre in September 2015.