Branagh wows West End in 'Ivanov'

Kenneth Branagh won thunderous applause for his performance in Anton Chekhov's Ivanov when it opened in the West End last night.

Michael Grandage's production at Wyndham's Theatre garnered five-star reviews from the Guardian and Independent.

Chekhov's 1887 play, which was adapted by Sir Tom Stoppard, tells of a disillusioned landowner with crippling debts and a wife suffering from tuberculosis.

Branagh last appeared on the London stage in David Mamet's play Edmond at the National Theatre in 2003.

Ivanov runs at the Wyndham's Theatre until November 29.