A man steps on stage to deliver a serious public lecture on the dangers of smoking. What follows, however, is anything but a straightforward talk. In ‘Harmfulness of Tobacco’, Anton Chekhov transforms a simple lecture into a brilliantly awkward and deeply human confession. As the speaker struggles to stay on topic, the audience is pulled into a stream of frustrations, regrets, and quiet revelations about his life, marriage, and unrealised dreams.

At once hilarious and poignant, this classic Chekhov monologue peels back the layers of an ordinary man caught between social expectations and his own buried truths. Know Promises Theatre Collective presents a fresh staging of Chekhov’s sharp and darkly comic one-act monologue. Blending humour with moments of surprising vulnerability, Harmfulness of Tobacco explores themes of repression, identity, and the absurdity of social performance.

Performed in an intimate setting, the production invites audiences to experience the full range of Chekhov’s wit, where laughter and melancholy sit side by side, and a seemingly trivial lecture reveals the complicated inner world of one very overwhelmed man.

This fast-paced, character-driven performance offers an engaging, accessible introduction to Chekhov while highlighting the timeless humour and humanity in his writing.