"Vaudeville subjects gush out of me like oil from the wells of Baku". Thus Chekhov once expressed his relish for writing the short one-act farces included in this volume. Written during the period when Chekhov was producing more serious prose fiction, these plays are scripted for maximum comic effect. Action is based on a grotesque misunderstanding which leads to an absurd climax. "With me", wrote Chekhov, "the serious always alternates with the trivial." These pieces have been repeatedly staged in Russia and all over the world, and their popularity rivals that of Chekhov's renowned four-act plays. There the humour is muted. Here it is ribald and full of verve. Also included in this volume are the two relatively neglected long plays "Platonov" and "The Wood Demon". The latter served as the raw material for "Uncle Vanya", and both plays eloquently illustrate Chekhov's status as a theatrical poineer.