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- Poor Yurik: viewers hand over tickets for the scandalous "Hamlet" at the Moscow Art Theater
Poor Yurik: viewers hand over tickets for the scandalous "Hamlet" at the Moscow Art Theater
The most anticipated performance of the season, Hamlet at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater, risks becoming the most scandalous. If it was almost impossible to get a ticket to Andrei Goncharov's production starring Yura Borisov before the premiere, then after two screenings and harsh criticism from People's Artist of Russia Oleg Menshikov, empty seats began to appear every now and then. At the box office, Izvestia was confirmed: the audience spends the whole day handing over tickets, while others immediately buy them back. The prices of speculators have also dropped — if only recently 200 thousand rubles were asked for a place in the stalls, now the cost has halved. Izvestia, together with theater experts, figured out what was happening around the main premiere of the season.
Expensive soap bubble and solid stamps
The reason for the heated discussion was a three-minute video that Oleg Menshikov, People's Artist of Russia and artistic director of the Ermolova Theater, had previously posted on his social networks. He did not choose diplomatic formulations and called Andrei Goncharov's performance a "theatrical disaster."
— The theater has created a monster. I was also spurred on by the fact that I found a review somewhere on the Web that it turns out to be brilliant and that not everyone can understand it at all. That there are some hidden meanings that only an overly enlightened mind can understand. What are the meanings there? There's not a single thought there. There is not even the beginning of thought. This is KVN, and today's, not those of the best years," the actor said.
Menshikov's words instantly split the theatrical environment. Some saw in his performance a long—overdue reaction to the "fashionable" experimental theater, others - a conflict of generations and aesthetics.
Footage from the performance has been widely shared on social media. And two days later, the audience began to hand over their tickets. On May 18, at noon, it was already possible to buy 19 tickets for May 21 on the official website. Moreover, there are stalls, an amphitheater, and a balcony in different parts of the hall. However, after 10 minutes there were already two left. After some time, tickets began to appear for May 20 and June 11.
— People give up their tickets due to illness or for some other reason. Some rent, while others buy. We've been watching this all day today," the Moscow Art Theater box office confirmed to Izvestia.
Theater critic Marina Raikina admits that the main problem of the play is the lack of artistic discovery.
— I saw everything that I've been watching for the last 20 years. Solid stamps. But the most important thing is that no one understood what the author wanted to say. But people paid a lot of money for this. They have the right to understand what is happening on stage. And all I saw was boredom," she told Izvestia.
The only thing for which, according to the critic, the production can be praised is the set design. However, it exists separately from the action, says Raikina.
— It's versatile, even operatic. You can play Verdi or Puccini perfectly in it. However, it was not possible to show the actors. And absolutely bad costumes. I see these clothes in my life when I walk down the street. Why would I go to the theater and watch it for a lot of money? — the expert noted.
Working with the text also raised no less questions. Director Andrey Goncharov wrote the dramatization together with Nadezhda Tolubeeva. As a result, it turned out to be "prosaically rhythmic and consciously street-like." According to Marina Raikina, the creators of the play focused primarily on the youth audience, but even they did not explain the story to her. The critic is convinced that the viewer is not obliged to "solve the crossword puzzle", instead of following the drama.
— It's insulting when people tell you that you're a fool, even for your own money. Hamlet is an expensive soap bubble. A lot of money has been invested in it, but the actors are not visible in the performance. Yura Borisov just walks, twitches and speaks in monosyllables. He does it organically— both on screen and on stage. Konstantin Khabensky chose the word "fashionable" this year. But if he got right with the "Cabal of Saints" — after all, no one can play the king better than Nikolai Tsiskaridze — then it's just hype," she believes.
Zoomer's statement and the plot at the comic book level
However, not all representatives of the theater community share such a harsh assessment. People's Artist of Russia, director Andrey Zhitinkin believes that the conflict around the play is largely related to the difference in audiences.
— Every generation has its own Hamlet. This is definitely not "Hamlet" by Kachalov or Vysotsky. Borisov's Hamlet is completely different. This is the saying of the Zoomers. There is no Shakespearean verse, nor the meanings that were in the play, but this is their statement. They kept the plot, the proposed circumstances, so I think that such a reading is possible," the director told Izvestia.
At the same time, Zhitinkin highly appreciates the set design and acting work of Yuri Borisov.
— I am absolutely not disappointed in Yura. You can see everything in the theater: he has a good voice, plasticity, and temperament. In the final, he moves beautifully, fights. He can play Hamlet 100%.
In his opinion, Konstantin Khabensky deliberately took risks and assumed what kind of hype and even scandal the performance would cause. Moreover, the director notes that the sketchy method, for which Andrei Goncharov is criticized, is not at all an innovation.
— Konstantin Stanislavsky began working in this way at the end of his life, and then Maria Knebel took up this practice. In recent years, this method has been used by Yuri Butusov, but he had his own audience. Andrei Goncharov also has sketches, but the viewer should understand that this is a taco. So, it's probably worth reading about it on the Internet before or after the performance," Zhitinkin said.
At the same time, the director admits that the hype will subside over time, the audience will stop paying insane money to resellers and will start coming more selectively. Then it will become clear how long the public will remain interested in Hamlet. According to him, the scandal surrounding the play has revealed another problem — the new generation does not know Shakespeare's text well.
— It seems that everyone has read Hamlet. No, the zoomers didn't read it. They know the plot at the comic book level: killed, killed, killed, and that's it. And the performance looks like a comic book. But this is a product of our era," the director noted.
Writer Alexander Tsypkin, who collaborates with the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater as a playwright, admitted in a conversation with Izvestia that, on the contrary, he liked the play.
— I'm a biased person, so you can't call my opinion objective. But I liked the performance, and I'll be happy to watch it again," he said.
At the same time, Alexander Tsypkin believes that Oleg Menshikov's performance rather benefited the production. Thanks to this, tickets for the performance will be sold before the end of the season. However, the situation at the box office so far rather contradicts the words of the writer. But if some people return tickets, then others choose the former in the question of "to be or not to be" on "Hamlet". Probably, at least to see with my own eyes the performance, which is already being called the main theatrical scandal of the year.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
