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On November 4 Daria Shevchuk made her stage debut in the role of Ottilie, Ill's daughter in Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s «The Visit of the Old Lady». We sincerely wish her every success in her future endeavours.

On September 5 Maksim Filatov made his stage debut in the role of Karl, Ill's son in Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s «The Visit of the Old Lady». It was an urgent replacement, and responsibility was huge, but Maksim did his best.

After the performance we asked Maksim to share his impressions: «Before the performance I was not worried - I knew that I was surrounded by reliable partners, great artists: Vasiliy Bochkaryov, Vladimir Nosik, Alexander Klyukvin, Viktor Nizovoy, Viktor Bunakov, Zinaida Andreeva, Lyudmila Titova. I knew that they would support me, help me, and, if necessary, watch my back.It was, in my opinion, a truly fine performance, in a sense that I was playing only for my partners and with my partners. I think that's why everything went smoothly, and I met all the challenges.»

On February 18 Mariya Dunaevskaya made her stage debut in the role of Ottilie, Ill's daughter in Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s «The Visit of the Old Lady». We sincerely wish her every success in her future endeavours!

The Maly Theatre for the very first time turns to the work of the Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Ilan Ronen, former Artistic director of The Habima, the National Theatre of Israel, undertook to produce «The Visit of the Old Lady» on the historical stage of the Maly Theatre. 27 years ago he already worked with the renowned Moscow company – back then an Israeli director was invited to stage «Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme» by Molière. And it turns out that the director managed to repeat his success of a quarter of a century ago.

Dürrenmatt's play is a true gift for any theatre company. The work is spectacular and "heavily-populated" - 40 characters! However, Ilan Ronen picked only 16 actors, entrusting some of them with several roles.

- That's the essence of the theatre, when the actors can switch roles. And the audience loves it. Then it is immediately clear that they are in the theatre, - the director explains.

It is Lyudmila Titova, who brings the main character of Claire Zachanassian to life on the stage.. Perhaps Ilan Ronen made his choice, having seen the actress in the title role in last season’s premiere – «Vassa Zheleznova. The First Version.» The image of the "Iron lady" suits her. Claire’s former lover, Alfred Ill, is performed by Vasiliy Bochkaryov. The premiere of the performance was a gift for his anniversary - on November 22 People's Artist of Russia, Vasiliy Ivanovich celebrated his 75th birthday.

Set designer Lily Ben Nachshon created the space of the old railway station on the stage that easily turns into a reception hall and a court room. And it all begins with the huge clock counting down the minutes until the the arrival of billionaire Claire Zachanassian. The crowd of citizens led by the Mayor (Alexander Klyukvin) is visibly nervous and is preparing a speech to honour the guest. The old official knows how to welcome important guests, especially when the whole city has gone into bankruptcy. But the guest has completely different plans on her mind.

The old woman returns to her former hometown to take revenge on Alfred. 45 years ago her lover renounced her and their future child. The 17-year-old pregnant Claire was kicked out of the town in disgrace. She found a shelter in a brothel. But now she has the money, the power and the eighth husband and - a lot of property in Güllen …

The appearance of the old lady is spectacular. Through the clouds of smoke, leaning on the cane, limping Clara comes out surrounded by bodyguards and lackeys. Here we should also mention the work of the lighting designer, Andrey Izotov - with the help of shadows and light, he creates that grandiose and at the same time sinister image of the main character. After all, Claire is not a philanthropist, she is a terrible puppeteer who will play with peoples’ lives. 'Everything can be bought', says Claire. 'A billion for Güllen if someone kills Alfred Ill.'

Gradually, even those who were afraid of getting their hands dirty in exchange for a billion changed their principles. This transformation of the personality is conveyed by the costume design produced by Anat Sternschuss Bedani. If at the beginning all townspeople looked like a gray mass, then with the appearance of the Old Lady in their lives, they gradually begin to become covered in gold. Boots, ties, mufflers, hats, portfolios from stage to scene turn yellow. Only Ill remains that gray shopkeeper, betrayed and killed by his closest ones.

Zoya Igumnova, Izvestia, November 27, 2017

The play «The Visit of the Old Lady», written by the Swiss playwright and novelist Friedrich Dürrenmatt in 1956, has become quite popular recently. At the beginning of November, the premiere took place at the Stanislavsky Electrotheatre, and was directed by Oleg Dobrovolsky. And at the same time it was put on in the Maly Theatre and staged by the Israeli director, the former Artistic Director of Habima National Theatre Ilan Ronen. What is it so relevant nowadays? If the Electrotheatre took the path of research on transhumanism, then in the Maly Theatre the decided to reveal human vices. «MK» columnist with a review of the Maly’s recent production.

An empty platform, a bunch of poorly dressed people with a banner: «Welcome, our Klarochka!». At some point they decide that it's too unceremonious, and they turn the poster over to the other side, on which says: «Welcome, Ms Claire Zachanassian!» - this is how the two-faced nature of the city's residents for the first time reveals itself to the audience. As the trains sweep past, the townspeople talk, telling the story of the city of Güllen, the city where «Goethe spent the night» - and now experiencing a crisis, devastation and lack of money. They are preparing for the arrival of a famed billionaire Claire Zachanassian, who grew up here.

People's Artist of Russia Lyudmila Titova, who plays the leading role in the play, appears on stage as a character rather than a human being - an eccentric rich woman accustomed to commodity-money relations. At first we see her impressive shadow on the backscreen, then Claire herself makes appearance, a woman, who is taking away souls, an embodied revenge that knows no mercy. «The world has turned me into a whore, I will turn it into a brothel!» - she declares. And she has all the rights - 45 years ago Claire's ex-lover, Alfred Ill, betrayed her, denying her paternity claim and marrying Matilda Bluhard, the daughter of the owner of the general store. And now the old lady is back to seek justice.

The story of love and revenge, suddenly turns into a truly Gogol’s comedy. The tragic part recedes into the background, allowing comedies to play mise-en-scenes and bring heroes on stage in order to please the audience. This is how the castrated and blinded Koby (Victor Bunakov) and Loby (Mikhail Fomenko) appear, resembling Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, as well as Claire's personal guards - «two of a kind», Roby and Toby. The Mayor (Alexander Klukvin) is also a typical Gogol’s character. And these people will determine other people's destinies! It is not surprising that when a billionaire puts her condition to the residents of the city - «check for a billion for the traitor's death», everyone is horrified, not wanting to become an executioner, but, as it often happens, the decision are changed quickly. And after some time people realize that the death of one person is a good and decent fare for the happy and comfortable life of others. Only the Schoolmaster, played by Vladimir Nosik, assumes a distinctive role as a "seer" of truth. But his fervent speeches are drowned in the roar of the crowd - it is impossible to protect the one who has condemned himself to the mistakes of the past.

Perhaps the most important problem of this production is that there are no heroes who we can easily sympathize with, they are all puppets in the director's hands. If you think about it, Dürrenmatt wrote his play as a tragicomedy. It is based on the drama of a woman who only loved once, who was betrayed by a partner, but managed to survive. And on the example of one story - from private to general - Dürrenmatt revealed the whole layer of human relations in a world where the only thing that is valuable is money. So in the play - gradually penetrating into the inhabitants of Güllen, starting with the clothing, and then capturing the lights - gold becomes the main driving force, justifying any crime of the society that fell ill with the «gold rush».

The story of one person (who betrayed his love 45 years ago, for the sake of profit) reveals the history of the whole society - a society striving for profit, capable of killing and sacrificing anyone for the sake of a beautiful life. And if logically the audience should sympathize with Claire, whose fate was broken by the man she passionately loved, that does not happen - it's hard to sympathize with the caricature. The only living character, surprisingly, is Ill performed by Vasiliy Bochkaryov - pathetic, destroyed by time and trampled by his own impotence, ingratiating and cowardly. He is the only one who changes throughout the whole performance - from the former executioner he eventually becomes a victim.

As for the main character, there is no tragedy in her, even in the failed scene of the murder (a scene in the forest), where Claire, stifled to the frenzy, kisses, is nothing real. Like the character of the film «Death Becomes Her» she rises from the dead, like a mechanical doll - unharmed and soulless. Not a woman, but a capitalist killing machine. In Ilan Ronen’s production there’s a lot of artificial – like a fake forest, a tragicomedy without tragedy, not to cry, but to feel indignant.

And then everything happens at lightning speed: the hero will be sentenced to death with instant execution. And the cost of betrayal does not really matter. The ramshackle city will be overwhelmed with money, and all for the sake of one - that the heroine could take with her the one whom she loved. Let the dead, destroyed, lying in the coffin - but belonging only to her from now on. In the finale, everyone starts dancing, but the sounds of Ill's harmonica make the residents remain standing stiff. Yet again, director Ilan Ronen decides the finale to look more like the final scene from Gogol's «The Government Inspector».

Those who strive to find a dramatic component and dramatic reading will most probably fail to detect them. However, perhaps, laughter is a much more effective weapon against the evils of society? Even Gogol knew this. Or maybe Dürrenmatt?...

Ekaterina Pisareva, «Moskovsky Komsomolets», November 21, 2017

Dear friends,

We are happy to share with you a recording of a TV show «The Leading Role» starring People's Artist of Russia Lyudmila Titova, where she talks playing Claire Zachanassian in a recent production «The Visit of the Old Lady» directed by Ilan Ronen.

Dear friends,

As you already know, today is the opening night of «The Visit of the Old Lady» based on the tragicomedy by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. It is the first production based on the work of the Swiss playwright, staged at the Maly Theatre that was directed by Ilan Ronen (Israel). Just in a few hours the curtain will open, the lights will go down and the audience will plunge into the strange and bizarre atmosphere of the provincial town of Güllen preparing for the arrival of famed billionaire Claire Zachanassian. However, everything has its time, so while the artists are getting ready for the big night, come, let's take a peek behind the scenes and see what is happening there. Photos by Evgeniy Lyulyukin

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Dear friends,

On November 12, the run-through of Ilan Ronen’s production of «The Visit of the Old Lady» based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s play was held at the Maly Theatre. The opening night is scheduled for November 16. Tickets are already on sale. And today we are happy to share with you a photo gallery from yesterday's performance by Ivan Novikov-Dvinsky.

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On November 16th the Maly Theatre will offer its audience a new production, «The Visit the Old Lady» based on the tragicomedy by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. The director of the play Ilan Ronen answered several questions about the upcoming premiere.

- When did you receive an offer to return to the Maly Theatre, after a 30-year break?

- The first meeting with the Artistic Director of the Maly Theatre Yuri Solomin took place last year, in September. He said that he would like me to come and direct the performance on the stage of the Maly Theatre. We have known each other for over 20 years, since 1990, when I was working on «Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme» by Molière. In 2012 I brought the production of the Habima Theatre, «Road to Damascus» by Israeli playwright Hillel Mitellpunkt, directed by me, within a framework of the International UTE Festival that took place at the Maly Theatre. Throughout these years, me and Yuri kept in touch. So then there was an official invitation to come and work on a new production. Recently, I left the post of artistic director of the Habima theatre, and now I have more free time and more flexible working in theatres around the world. During the discussion of possible productions, Yuri liked the idea of putting «The Visit of an Old Lady» the most.

- Are there any actors in this production who worked with you 27 years ago in «Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme»?
- Yes, four actors from the current production were already engaged in the production of «Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme» in 1990. Among them are Lyudmila Titova, Viktor Bunakov, Zinaida Andreeva and Boris Klyuev. I saw Lyudmila Titova in 2012, when I was in Moscow with the Habima theatre, she watched our performances. So for me this is a very exciting event - to come here after so many years and work with the same actors.

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- How did the casting go?

- For me, the casting overall was quite a difficult process. In the Habima theatre, in which I had worked for 20 years, I knew all the actors, their strengths and weaknesses and their opportunities. In Moscow, casting took some time, but when I saw the artists all together on stage, I realized that it was the right choice. As I said, I worked with Lyudmila Titova before, and when her name came up in a conversation with Yuri, I was very happy. I heard about the acting skills of Vasiliy Bochkaryov, but before that I did not see him playing. And then I saw him on stage in the play «The Last Sacrifice», where he plays in a duet with Lyudmila. I also saw the chemistry and tension that exists between them in this performance. For my production, it was very important to show the love story of a man and a woman. In spite of other issues raised in this play, in the center of the story is the story of the first true love, a story about what an abandoned woman with a broken heart is capable of, who was betrayed due to cowardice and selfishness.

-Why is this play, written by Dürrenmatt in the 50s still relevant today?

-Look, I came to work at the Maly Theatre for the first time in 1990, and back then Moscow was a completely different city. Now everything has changed drastically. People have the opportunity and find easy ways to make money, they apply for bank loans without thinking about how they will give the money back. Even the mere fact of possessing money, obnubilates their minds and consciousness. The topics that were relevant decades and even centuries ago are relevant nowadays. Money is the power and might. Everything can be bought, including justice. The play raises the question of what the society is willing to pay for the material benefits.

-How do you find working with the actors of the Maly Theatre? Would you like to continue this collaboration?

- I work with professionals in my field, with real talents. And I hope that they are happy to solve the tasks that I set before them. It seems to me that I work somewhat different from other directors who have staged performances in the Maly Theatre. I work less with realism on stage. I prefer symbols, hidden hints. And that's what I'm trying to achieve with my actors. I have some ideas about putting on Shakespeare or Moliere next. I would like to continue this artistic dialogue with the Maly Theatre. At the moment I would most likely prefer to put on the classics. I would not want to voice a specific work, but I definitely see great opportunities for realizing my idea here.

-Can you feel the difference between the Russian actors and their colleagues from other countries?

-Sometimes it seems to me that I work with my company, and that I have long known all the actors. Yes, it is difficult sometimes, and at other times, on the contrary, quite easy. Habima is the oldest repertory theatre in Israel. Now it is celebrating its centenary. It was established by immigrants from Russia and the Stanislavsky system is more than known there. We are all students of this system, despite the fact that sometimes we are fighting against it. In addition, the Maly Theatre is a repertory theatre. In Europe only a few remained at the moment. In fact, in Russia, I feel at home. I worked with actors from Germany who are different from the Russian ones, I worked with actors from Israel. Israel is a melting pot, a multinational country, a real mixture of cultures and subcultures and traditions of various communities and generations. In Israel, for many people, Hebrew is not a native language. Russian culture in Israel has long-standing roots and all fields of culture are imbued with it - music, theatre, etc. During World War II, my mother had to flee from Poland to Siberia, to the refugee camp. She brought with her the memories and traditions that she witnessed. And so sometimes in Moscow, it seems to me that the Russian language is part of me, part of my biography, even though I do not know this language.

REFERENCE
Ilan Ronen (Israel) (former Artistic director of The Habima, the National Theatre of Israel, member of honour of the Union des Théâtres de l'Europe). Many performances staged by Ilan Ronen were honoured by professional awards. This is not his first production at the Maly Theatre. In 1990, an Israeli director was invited to stage «Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme» by Molière.

The first reading of the tragicomic play «The Visit of the Old Lady» by Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt that will be staged at the Maly Theatre was held on September 5th. The production will be directed by Ilan Ronen (Israel). This will be his second staging in our theatre (the first being «Le Bourgeois gentilhomme»/ « The Bourgeois Gentleman» by Molière, 1990). By tradition, the production team was greeted by the Artistic Director of the theatre Yuri Mefodievich Solomin.

The video report by Evgeniy Pavlov.