ANTON Chekhov wrote Three Sisters in 1900, inspired in part by the three Bronte sisters.

The play was first produced in 1901 at the Moscow Art Theatre.

It was directed by Constantin Stanislavsky, who also played Vershinin.

l In 1936, John Gielgud directed an English translation of the play in a production that featured Peggy Ashcroft and Michael Redgrave in the cast.

l In 1970, a film version of the play featured Alan Bates, Joan Plowright, Ronald Pickup and Laurence Olivier, who co-directed.

l In 1990, a production at the Gate Theatre in Dublin featured real-life sisters Sinead, Sorcha and Niamh Cusack in the title roles. Their father Cyril Cusack also starred.

l A year later, a London production saw sisters Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave appear onstage together for the first and only time, while their niece Jemma Redgrave played the youngest sister, Irina.

l In 2011, Blake Morrison wrote a version of the play for the Northern Broadsides company which brought out the parallels with the Brontes.