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- The most pleasant news: the "Inspector General" from Mikhalkov's workshop is coming to us
The most pleasant news: the "Inspector General" from Mikhalkov's workshop is coming to us
Nikita Mikhalkov's Workshop 12 presented a new building and the first premiere of the season — the play "The Inspector General" based on Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. Director Vladimir Pankov invited Sergey Garmash and Elena Yakovleva to star. The first audience accepted the production with a bang. Izvestia visited both the performance and behind the scenes.
A star speaks to a star
The first big premiere of Nikita Mikhalkov's new Moscow Workshop 12 Theater is an occasion to evaluate the renovation of the former Actor's Theater, which was dressed in granite and marble by the beginning of the new season. Luxury cars are parked near the entrance, and guests with large bouquets are rushing to see the "Inspector General" directed by Vladimir Pankov— chief director of Lenkom Mark Zakharov and artistic director of the Drama and Directing Center.
"The Inspector General" is an acting production. The poster is full of folk artists — Sergey Garmash, Elena Yakovleva, Sergey Stepanchenko, Ivan Agapov. As the director of the play admits, even the director in such a company fades into the background.
On the other hand, such an ensemble requires an appropriate entourage. Artist Maxim Obrezkov created an old theater on the stage, with a prompter's booth, large-scale moving scenery, and expensive costumes appropriate to the era.
A conservative approach to content prevails here. Vladimir Pankov says that he took care of Gogol's text, and saw innovation in not doing more than necessary. He claims that he slapped his hands if he was moving in the wrong direction.
— We jokingly say: "That's it, we're playing mothball theater, with moths, dust, in such an old Russian theater," the director admits. — There is even a narrator in the play who brings Gogol's comments to the audience. Pronounces the text from the author.
By the way, Vladimir Suvorov, a veteran of Sovremennik, became this narrator.
I want a Garmash
The main condition that the director set for the director of the Mikhalkov Theater, Igor Popov, was the participation of Sergei Garmash in the play. Only Pankov saw him in the role of the Mayor.
— It is very important that the king and his entourage are played by personalities, great artists, — Vladimir Pankov is sure. — It is symbolic and important that the Nikita Mikhalkov Theater opens with the Revizor, just as serious scenes used to begin their lives with Gogol's play.
Sergei Garmash believes that his Mayor is a timeless character. Because a large number of the hero's remarks can still be heard from officials and people in power. Gogol is not archaic, says Garmash. This is an eternal work, a classic. Because it is relevant at any time. While working on the role, the actor recalled Stanislavsky: when playing a good character, look for where he is evil, and when starting work on a negative character, look for the good in him.
"I tried to make the audience see the weak and the strong, the evil and the kind, even the naive Mayor,— says Garmash.
Director Vladimir Pankov is inseparable from the soundrama. Music is a full—fledged actor in his plays. In the Revizor, SounDrama studio musicians play in the foreground and in the orchestra pit. It would not be quite right to call this group a chamber orchestra. There is a stringed bow band next to folk instruments — domra and bayan. There's also a piano, vibraphone, and wind instruments. As Sergey Garmash admits, he did not immediately agree with the musical component of the production, but after starting rehearsals with Pankov, he resigned himself.
— Although I have experience working with Yuri Bashmet's orchestra in the play "The Meek", in "The Inspector General" there is a slightly different presentation of musical material. But now it is quite proven and convincing," says the People's Artist.
Drinking on holidays
The Mayor's wife, Anna Andreevna, is played by People's Artist of Russia Elena Yakovleva. Her appearance on stage in papillottes and a dressing gown is greeted by an ovation from the audience. And when, in the second act, the heroine changes into a crinoline, it rolls around the hall.: "Wow!!!" A gorgeous lady has only one drawback: alcohol relieves stress. Anna Andreevna, drunk, decides to seduce the inspector, but since it is not comme il faut for the wife of the mayor of St. Petersburg to charm, she marries his daughter Marya Antonovna for him. The heroine of Elena Yakovleva does not consider herself a drinker.: It's only on holidays!
"She's having a holiday — the inspector general has arrived, and that's what happened," the actress shares with Izvestia. — Remember the classical works of Gogol and Ostrovsky. Almost every heroine drank a glass. That's probably how life was. Our lives are not very different. And there are a lot of drinkers now too. Let the audience watch and think how bad it is.
The artist Maxim Obrezkov was responsible for the image of Elena Yakovleva. It's not the first time he's worked with an actress. Prior to that, he designed the performances "The Old House" in the Central House of Artists and "Theater" in Sovremennik. And Elena Alekseevna first met Sergei Garmash on stage in 1987. After the actress left Sovremennik, there was a big break. The "Inspector General" at Nikita Mikhalkov's Workshop 12 was a pleasant and long-awaited meeting.
There are also two huge gray rats with pink tails in tutus among the characters. And there is a bear-servant in a cap and a kosovorotka.
One in two persons
Vladimir Pankov has prepared another surprise for the audience, or rather, a trick. In the role of Khlestakov, two artists are announced in the program at once — Danila and Pavel Rassomakhin. The twins are like the alter ego of Gogol's hero.
"On the one hand, it's character enhancement, on the other, it's schizophrenia," says Danila Rassomakhin. — He's not big, but in acute moments, for example, when he's hungry or meeting the Mayor's daughter, he starts to split up.
The Rassomakhin brothers have been serving for nine years at the Drama and Directing Center, which, like Lenkom, is headed by Vladimir Pankov. They made their debut as directors there last year, the play is called "The Hawk". Pavel is also currently starring in films with Sergey Garmash, in the comedy "Dr. Gaf".
There are two more identical surnames in the program — Galina and Polina Medvedeva appear in the role of Maria Antonovna, the daughter of the Mayor. The artist decided to make a clown makeup for this heroine. Apparently, because the girl still hasn't grown up and is losing her life, like in a high school. Actresses have been on stage since childhood. They sing and act in movies.
The first appearance of the young swindler Khlestakov is impressive. Khlestakov is carried out in his arms by a two-meter tall, sturdy servant Osip. But Peter Markin demonstrates not only strength, he also sings the bass lines brilliantly. The audience learns that there are not one Khlestakov on stage, but two, when Danila Rassomakhin's character does a somersault into the right wing and immediately appears in the left.
The brothers are plastic, energetic, dynamic. Sometimes they resemble the young Evgeny Mironov, who thirty years ago played Khlestakov in the movie "The Inspector General."
The director was afraid to offer a role in the play to Nikita Sergeevich, who was playing the Mayor in the above-mentioned film, because he was too busy. The rehearsal period would have dragged on for two years. When Mikhalkov watched the first run of The Revizor, he surprised Pankov with a delicate, tactful analysis of the play.
It would have been a simple decision to invite the twins to play Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, but Vladimir Pankov offered these roles to Sergey Gazarov and Dmitry Kostyaev. They are dressed in suits of the same style, but with different colors — pink and purple.
This is not the first time Sergey Gazarov has come across this play by Gogol. Before that, he staged the play "The Inspector General" at the Oleg Tabakov Theater. In 1991, he was awarded the prize of the Union of Theatrical Figures of Russia for his production, and he also directed the 1996 film. And in 2019, the director presented an updated version of "The Inspector General" in "Tabakerka", where Vladimir Mashkov plays the role of the Mayor.
Strawberry and Lyapkin-Tyapkin in the new performance — actors of Lenkom Mark Zakharova Sergey Stepanchenko and Ivan Agapov. A homeric sight. One in a green velvet suit, the other in a blue livery, crumble in front of Khlestakov, fawn, bribe. The bureaucrats of the county town try to make others cringe by their appearance alone, but at the sight of an "official from St. Petersburg" they change in an amazing way.
Tickets are still on sale, prices are up to 15 thousand rubles. It's not very expensive by Moscow standards, but the theater will still have to prove to the picky public that this money is worth paying.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
