PEER GYNT
Yury Butusov's monumental "Peer Gynt" is a celebrated, surreal, and modern staging of Henrik Ibsen's classic play, transforming Ibsen's tale into a visually rich, often chaotic, yet profound reflection on identity, illusion, and the human condition. The emotionally charged work combines unconventional staging, multimedia elements with Butusov's signature blend of humor and deep pathos, delving into Peer's selfish quest for selfhood, and contrasting it with universal themes of love, reality, and the search for meaning.
Vakhtangov Theatre Production
Presented in Russian w/ English subtitles
Running time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Photos by Valery Myasnikov, Yulia Gubina, Yana Ovchinnikova
CREATIVE TEAM
Directed by Yury Butusov
Set Design by Maksim Obrezkov, Aleksandr Barmenkov
Lighting Design by Aleksandr Sivaev, Aleksandr Matveev
Choreographed by Nikolay Reutov
Makeup Artist Olga Kalayvina
Sound by Ruslan Knushevitskiy, Matvey Rodionov
Video by Aleksandr Gostukhin
Assistant director Irina Gromova, Evdokiya Dranishnikova
CAST
Peer Gynt – Sergey Volkov
Another Peer Gynt – Pavel Popov
Solveig – Yana Sobolevskaya
Mother – Evgeniya Kregzhde
Musician – Yury Tsokurov
Anitra – Adelina Gizatullina
The performance includes poems by
Arseny Tarkovsky, a quotation from Klaus Kinski's one-man show "Jesus" (1968), and music in French, English, German, Russian, Norwegian and Sámi languages.
YURY BUTUSOV ON STAGING "PEER GYNT:
"Ibsen's play "Pyr Gnnt" is almost impossible to read. The number of meanings, events, turns, motives, philosophy, riddles, places of action is astounding. Only a madman could write such a play in the 19th century, and now as well! This is a destruction of all laws, rules, going beyond reason. What's the main idea? The search for oneself, endless all-consuming love, the world that crushes a person, tearing him to shreds, a human rebellion against destiny, a romantic hymn of all-conquering love... In general, this play has everything. Of course, it's impossible to cope with this block. And you don't need to. It lives on its own, like any great wook. And sometimes it finds you. Our performance is the result of such a meeting, an attempt to touch. That's true. Of course, I had to find a topic. No, not a topic, all topics are important - a point - a entry point that will give me the opportunity to become a part of the play. Perhaps this is a line that does not lie on the surface: father - son, maybe that on the surface - the relationship between son and mother, or maybe there is the theme of rebellion. The topic of freedom and its limits, the topic of responsibility for what you do... And even if you made a mistake long ago, it can always be corrected. Forgiveness."
