BATTLING the Beast from the East to get to York Theatre Royal, it seems fitting that York Settlement Community Players have put on a Chekhov to match the Siberian weather.

However, this play of lost opportunities and desperation feels far from chilly: within the intimacy of the Studio theatre it’s clear to see the company harbours a warmth for its chosen text, a sense of care that comes out in a performance imbued with a wealth of emotion.

Maurice Crichton shines out as the title character: his Vanya matches the vast range of emotional labour throughout the play, from a raucous and open-armed welcome to his friend Astrov (Ben Sawyer, who eases into his turn as the sardonic, often drunk, doctor) to his final moments.

Slumped over a desk, Crichton embodies Vanya’s utter exhaustion, worn down by his spurned affections towards Yelena (Amanda Dales) and his decades of labour on the family farm.

Joining him as a scene stealer is Martha Owen as Vanya’s niece Sonya: the audience isn’t quite sure where to look when these two actors share the stage, so memorable are their performances.

Owen’s Sonya adds youth to Chekhov’s ensemble of wizened and regretful characters, playing the role as a gawky young woman who is yet to feel comfortable in a role of independence.

Watching Owen and Dales interact is a particularly striking scene, as Sonya and Yelena attempt to breach age, beauty and status to salvage their friendship. It’s a delicate sequence, yielding to the natural pauses in conversation and invoking a time-eternal awkwardness that two acquaintances can feel: the sincerity of the performances is to be lauded.

The set is minimal, although a wall piece offers an innovative take on staging the passage of time with a series of soft summer lights and dark blue nights shining through the window.

Still, the show works best without frills and long scene changes, when it relies on the talent of its lead actors. Granted, on press night, there are a couple of moments where it feels a line or cue is dropped momentarily but these are sure to be ironed out.

A slight hiccup can be found in terms of staging: often a character can have their back to the audience due to the three-sided nature of the Studio’s seating, so a front-on position is best when booking tickets.

It’s refreshing to see Chekhov handled with such ease and lack of pomposity by director Helen Wilson and her cast: the actors retain their everyman accents, the scene changes are peppered with contemporary folk song. These subtle touches guarantee that the relatably human flaws of Uncle Vanya’s characters and their situations bleed through the centuries to touch the modern audience, something the York Settlement Community Players can pull off in their sleep.

York Settlement Community Players present Uncle Vanya, York Theatre Royal Studio, until Saturday, 7.45pm and 2pm Saturday matinee. Box office: 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk