The Circus | Russia

The performance is held as part of "The Golden Mask" in Israel" project

Theatre of Nations, Moscow

Stage director: Maxim Didenko

Maxim Didenko, one of the most sought-after theatre directors of the new generation, presents a musical production at the Theatre of Nations with Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė playing the lead, based on a legendary soviet cinema hit comedy the Circus. Grigory Alexandrov’s 1936 film featured the story of American circus star Marion Dixon touring the USSR with the best-selling show 'Flight to the Moon'. While the show is a huge success, its author Fon Kneishitz is blackmailing Marion, threatening to reveal her private secrets to the public eye.

In Maxim Didenko’s production Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė not only plays the role of Marion Dixon – the name being a direct reference to Marlene Dietrich – but also the role of a soviet cinema star Lyubov Orlova (widely known at the time as ‘the Russian Dietrich’), who played the lead part in Alexandrov's 1936 film.

Didenko describes his production’s style as retro-futurism: ‘The story takes place in a fictional future as envisioned by the distant past’, the director says. 'The song of the Motherland', the soundtrack of the original film, composed by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach and Isaac Dunaevsky, is reinterpreted by composer Ivan Kushnir, and the production reinvents the meaning of the classical song lyrics ‘wide is my motherland’. Production scenography is designed by Maria Tregubova, winner of Prague Quadrennial, the Golden Mask, Chrystal Turandont and many other theatre awards.

The Circus features clowns, real stunts and an orchestra. They say that at times the Circus can make your heart soar, but make no mistake - you will laugh in the end.

Set: Maria Tregubova
Composer: Ivan Kushnir
Costume designer: Maria Tregubova
Libretto by: Konstantin Fyodorov, Maxim Didenko
Lighting designer: Ivan Vinogradov
Video artist: Ilya Starilov
Choreographer: Vladimir Varnava

Cast: Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Pavel Akimkin, Sergey Epishev/Gurgen Tsaturyan, Andrey Fomin/Vladimir Eryomin, Mahib Gladston/Ivan Ivanovich, Elena Nikolayeva/Natalya Nozdrina, Roman Shalyapin, Anton Eskin, Daniil Rossomahin, Pavel Rossomahin, Alexey Miranov, Vano Miranyan
Musicians: Mikhail Spasibo, Armen Pogosyan, Sergey Pospelov, Semyon Denisov, Ilya Movchan, Polina Shupilova, Vartan Darakchyan, Anton Bulkin, Mikhail Zvonnikov, Yaroslav Srodnih

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