THE CIRCUS
THE CIRCUS
THEATRE OF NATIONS
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
Duration 1 hour 45 minutes
Director Maxim Didenko
Premier took place on 11 May 2017
Libretto by Maxim Didenko, Konstantin Fedorov
Staging Designer, Costume Designer Maria Tregubova
Composer Ivan Kushnir
Video Designer Ilya Starilov
Choreographer Vladimir Varnava
Lighting Designer Ivan Vinogradov
CAST
Marion Dickson Ingeborga Dapkunaite
Ivan Petrovich Martynov Pavel Akimkin / Stanislav Belyayev
Franz von Kneischitz Sergey Yepishev / Gurgen Tsaturyan
Ludvig Osipovich, Director of the Circus Andrey Fomin / Vladimir Yeryomin
Black Child Jimmy, Marion’s son Makhib Gladston
Raiechka, Director’s daughter Elena Nikolaeva / Natalia Nozdrina
Skameykin, Amateur Draftsman Roman Shaliapin
Clowns
Anton Yeskin
Daniil Rassomakhin
Pavel Rassomakhin
Alexey Miranov
Vano Miranyan
Piano
Mikhail Spasibo
Armen Pogosyan
Violins
Sergey Pospelov
Semyon Denisov
Ilya Movchan
Polina Shupilova
Alto
Vartan Darackchan
Cello
Anton Bulkin
Yaroslavl Srodnikh
"Maxim Didenko, one of the most in-demand directors of the new generation who released a whole row of theatrical sensations last year, has taken over the theatre’s Main Scene staging a musical show based on the legendary Soviet comedy film called “The Circus”. The title role is performed by Ingeborga Dapkunaite. According to the plot of the film written by Grigory Alexandrov and released in 1936, the USSR hosts the star of American circus Marion Dickson with a gig representing the flight to the Moon. The gig turned out a great success, but its author, a German named von Kneischitz blackmails Marion threatening to disclose certain details of her private life." - Theatre of nations
In The Circus, Ingeborga Dapkunaite is not only going to perform Marion Dickson, a clear reference to famous Marlen Dietrich, but also the “Russian Dietrich”, Liubov Orlova, the star of the Soviet cinematography who performed the title role in Alexandrov’s version of the same movie.
Maxim Didenko defined the style of his show as retro futurism: “The plot takes place in conventional future invented in the distant past”.
Composer Ivan Kushnir is going to re-think the soundtrack to the original movie, “Song of the Motherland” by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach and Isaak Dunayevsky: the famous line “Wide is my Motherland” will get a new sound. Maria Tregubova is in charge for the artistic design of the show, she is a winner of the Grand-Prix at the Prague Quadrennial, as well as of the Golden Mask, Crystal Turandot and other theatre awards.
The show will feature clowns, real circus tricks and orchestra. As the director says, the circus may sometimes take one’s breath away, but it for sure must be amusing.
The premiere of “The Circus” will be held within the program of the 17th Chereshneviy Les (Cherry-Tree Forest) Open Arts Festival.