Theater where you go for actors. Mystical show "Returned

Anna Kovaleva

14 min.

On December 1, 2016, the world premiere of the new immersive performance "The Returned" took place in the Russian capital. It's worth hurrying - after 50 performances in Moscow, the production will leave Russia and go to New York!

What happened?

On December 1, 2016, the world premiere of the new immersive performance "The Returned" took place in the Russian capital. Moscow is the first city whose residents got the opportunity to watch this mystical show. However, it’s worth hurrying - after 50 performances in the Mother See, the production will leave Russia and go to New York: in the spring, the ambitious directorial team of the young theater company Journey Lab begins rehearsals for the American version of the performance, which is scheduled to premiere in autumn 2017.

Who put on this mystical show?

The play "The Returned" is the result of a creative collaboration between young American directors Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti from the New York theater company Journey Lab and Russian producers Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov and Miguel, choreographer and mentor of the show "DANCES" on TNT. Sounds in the mansion classical music, the author of which was the composer and leader of the group Therr Maitz Anton Belyaev.

We met the directors of the production, Mia and Viktor, in the theater bar: at the very beginning, all viewers are invited to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the performance in a small speakeasy bar located in the basement of the mansion. Guests are gradually getting used to the twilight, and the expectation increases curiosity. However, you can return to the bar at any time during the action or stay there for a cocktail after the show to discuss what you saw with other viewers of the show. I was lucky: I discussed what I saw directly with those who own the idea and implementation of this project in Russia.

Why did Moscow become the place for the world premiere of the show?

In fact, the "Returned" ended up in Moscow thanks to a happy coincidence. original idea put on an immersive performance New York based on the play "Ghosts" by the famous Norwegian Ibsen belongs to Viktor Karin (Journey Lab), although initially it was not about doing a project in Russia.

In order to stir up interest, prepare the American public for Ibsen and make a small “teaser” of the future performance, at the beginning of 2016 Journey Lab members Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti decided to stage a kind of prequel to the future production in New York. The play was released under the name The Alving Estate. The prequel sent everyone who came to the events that preceded the action classical play Norwegian playwright: it was important for the directors to show what underlies the experiences of the characters and clearly demonstrate how events from the past affect the present. Tickets for the performance were sold out very quickly, and the reaction from critics was surprisingly positive. By a happy coincidence (at least for the progressive theatrical audience of Moscow), Anastasia Timofeeva, the current creative producer of The Returned, turned out to be at this performance, who was very impressed by what she saw.

The idea to put on a large-scale immersive performance in Moscow had long been the choreographer Miguel, known to the Russian public for the popular TV project "Dancing" on TNT. Miguel has repeatedly visited the cult immersive show Sleep No More in New York and firmly decided to do something similar in Moscow. Together with TNT producer Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov, Miguel organized a meeting with the young members of Journey Lab, the authors of The Alving Estate, and invited them to make a joint immersive project in Moscow. Already in the spring of 2016, the Russian capital began active work on the creation of the world premiere of the mystical play The Returned.

What is an "immersive performance"?

Immersiveness (from the English. immersive - creating the effect of presence, immersion) is definitely one of the main trends contemporary art. Immersive theater is no exception; it is a kind of natural result of several trends in progressive direction and in the field of popular urban leisure at once.

The main feature of an immersive performance is the ability to create the effect of complete immersion of the viewer in what is happening and involve him in the plot of the production. At any moment, the participants in the action can begin to interact directly with the audience - the actors can hug you, blindfold you, take you by the hand or take you to another room. Sometimes, in order to take the viewer out of his comfort zone, it’s enough just to look into his eyes for a long time. Distinctive feature immersive performances is that the audience ceases to be just observers in the auditorium and become full participants in the whole action. By the way auditorium in the world of immersive theater in the traditional sense of the word, there is no such thing as the action of the promenade theater develops simultaneously in several different locations at once.

In the case of The Returned, the play takes place in a mansion. early XIX century in Dashkov lane in the center of Moscow. A team of talented decorators and costume designers managed to recreate an interior that has absorbed the spirit of the times. The house has four floors and about 50 rooms, each of which plays out an enchanting action that combines the energy of progressive theater, the visual aesthetics of cinema and amazing special effects.

How was the project going?

For six months, young American directors Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti worked in strict secrecy with Russian artists and taught them innovative immersive theater techniques. It is noteworthy that many of those involved in the production have never seen walk-in performances before.

The technique with which the directorial tandem of Victor and Mia works is widespread in the USA, but for Moscow it was a novelty. Actors were taught how to interact with people correctly - in the course of working on the project, the entire team performed whole line relaxation exercises. For example, one of the tasks for the artists was to lie down in the middle of the Moscow metro and calmly observe the reaction of passers-by.

Unlike the sensational immersive "Black Russian" by Maxim Didenko, in the play "The Returned" there are obviously no well-known media faces. At the casting, actors were recruited according to completely different criteria. Artists were evaluated based on how they control their body, how they interact with the crowd, how they look at passersby - they were looking for those from whom it is impossible to take their eyes off. For example, one of the tasks at the casting was to do something to make the actor want to follow. In total, more than 900 artists from all over the country took part in the casting for the show. We chose the best: 31 professional actors and dancers are involved in the project.

Interestingly, neither Mia nor Victor speak Russian. Although, by their own admission, it was not a problem. The main thing was to make actor play was understandable regardless of the language spoken by the characters.

What is at the heart of The Returned?

The show is based on the play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen "Ghosts" or "Ghosts", written back in 1881. For a long time, the play was banned both in Europe and in Russia for its excessive "naturalism". For the first time, "Ghosts" were staged only in 1903. "Ghosts" is not a simple play, it is a bold and extremely acute social story about the collapse of the ethics of Protestantism, or rather about how, behind the facade, there is a very ideal life(at first glance) mental suffering and throwing are hidden.

Important preparations are underway in Mrs. Alving's house - in the near future they should open an orphanage built with the money of the widow of the venerable Captain Alving in memory of him. In honor of this, the captain's relatives and old friends of the family gather together, however mystical events and ghosts, as if returning from the past, tragically change the fate of the heroes of the play. Knowledge of the plot is a serious trump card in the hands of the viewer, who shoots in advance possible questions and allowing you to combine disparate episodes into a mosaic.

Ibsen himself said that the title of the play should be translated as "Those who returned", which by the way was reflected in the Russian title of the show. Interestingly, when the show leaves for the US, it will have a new name, presumably “Give me the sun” - this is one of the lines of Oswald, the son of the deceased captain.

Why are there so many explicit scenes in the show?

The show really has shocking explicit scenes at first (yes, the performance is 18+). Spoiler alert: don't miss the orgy that happens during the action. I missed, well, although, I must admit, I always miss all the orgies :)

Remember that the number of explicit scenes you see depends only on you. According to the creators of the project, the original text requires frankness - many works by the Norwegian Ibsen are built around what is read between the lines and, as a rule, remains behind the scenes. The scenes of a sexual nature are not random: they highlight different moments in the history of each of the characters. For example, sensual scenes emphasize difficult life paths young Oswald and his father and help the viewer understand why and how the son inherited his father's lifestyle. Thus, explicit scenes are designed to demonstrate how a person’s deepest desires can lead to dire consequences for himself.

The sexual elements are a kind of provocation. explicit scenes affect the viewer in a special psychological way, making him forget about what seems forbidden and look at the world with a fresh open look, free from condemnation of other people. The authors of the project idea want all those who came to feel like some kind of ghosts at home in Dashkov Lane, who can watch the heroes at their moments of greatest weakness and vulnerability. Yes, frank sex scenes help the viewer to better understand what is going on in the soul of the characters and show the inner struggle of the characters deeper.

An interesting story happened with the teaser for The Returned. According to the organizers, Russian TV channels refused to broadcast the teaser of the show on TV, considering it too frank. So, the premiere of the teaser took place on the network in Instagrame. However, this did not prevent the teaser from collecting more than 50 million views in the first day of broadcast.

So is it worth going to the show?

Definitely yes, but be prepared - it's a bold performance. "The Returned" is the first full-fledged immersive production in the tradition of the iconic theater team Punchdrunk, which laid the foundations of the world's immersive theater. The trend towards universal immersion is one of the most noticeable trends in the modern entertainment industry, but it seems that for the first time in Moscow the promenade theater genre was treated so thoroughly and approached so seriously. After the performance, the audience is left with an interesting aftertaste and a feeling of fascination with everything that happened. In the bar, after the performance, the audience shares their feelings with friends, comparing their experience of what they saw: memories of the mystical show are put together in a mosaic, like pieces of a puzzle. I want to return to the mysterious mansion on Dashkovo: there are too many unsolved mysteries left.

The premiere of "The Returned" aroused great interest not only among the audience, but also among the professional theater community in Moscow. The show became the headliner of the program of one of the most prestigious theatrical events in the capital - the festival of the New European Theater NET.
Well, yes, the performance will be shown only 50 times, and then they will be taken to the USA.

What should you do before watching?

1. Get acquainted with Ibsen's play. If you're familiar with the story and characters beforehand, you'll be able to really immerse yourself in the secrets of the house without trying to keep up with complex storylines. For context and immersion in the right atmosphere, you can watch several films by David Lynch and read about the strict mores of society in the late 19th century.

2. Get tickets for an earlier time (spectators come in 3 times). The earlier you arrive, the more time you have to explore everything. Spectators themselves determine the time they will spend in the house on Dashkovo. You can stay within the walls of the mansion for only an hour, but even three hours may not be enough to see everything. The space and decoration of the house is a completely self-sufficient museum European culture and life late XIX century (bravo to the artists Ruslan Martynov and Ivan Bout).

Looking at the scenery is by no means less exciting than following the progress of the play. The rules encourage the audience's curiosity: no one will mind if you read the letter that lies on the table, or rummage through the suitcase of one of the characters. You can try on Mrs. Alving's jewelry, you can sit down at the dinner table with the heroes or watch closely how the actress preens and admires herself in front of the mirror.

3. Wear comfortable shoes without heels - get ready to walk a lot, and there are quite a few stairs in the house. Sometimes, in order to keep track of the characters, you even have to run.

4. Share with friends and don't set goals to see everything. This strategy will allow you to see a different set of episodes, and, rest assured, it will be more interesting to compare them afterward. Be sure to stop for a cocktail at the bar and discuss what you see with other viewers. As for different audience strategies, there are several options. You can choose the actor you like and follow him: this way you will become a witness to one, but a full-fledged storyline. Another behavioral tactic is to settle down in one of the many interesting locations, meeting and seeing off the characters who are brought here by the logic of the plot. If you are used to swimming against the current, then feel free to choose the path of a researcher: this is a great chance to examine all the numerous props of the house, read letters written in calligraphic handwriting, the content of which complements the replicas of the heroes of the production, and flip through the books that you will find on your way. It all depends on your desires and imagination.

5. Do not be afraid to be alone with the characters - the truth is more interesting that way. You should be curious all the time, you should not constantly follow the majority of the audience. Watching what is happening in the crowd of other spectators is not as interesting as exploring everything yourself. In the remote corners of the house, there are many secrets that are waiting to be revealed.

6. Be open. The more you bare your soul, the more you will get in return.

"Returned" is a unique performance that gives a sense of freedom and full involvement in what is happening. This is a bold theater where the main thing is not the spectacle, but personal dramatic experience.

One of the pioneers of the genre, the American team Jorney Lab, together with the Russian production company YesBWork, came up with the idea to turn Henrik Ibsen's play Ghosts (1881) into an immersive performance. A spectator who enters an old mansion with a ticket gets complete freedom of movement, the ability to poke his nose anywhere and discover, for example, secret passages and rooms. Directors Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti have been training artists in immersive theater techniques for six months in strict secrecy. Miguel, the choreographer of the show "Dancing", is responsible for the movement and in general for the energy of the project. For the first time in the local latitudes, the promenade theater genre was treated so thoroughly.

Must go is a must

For several reasons. Firstly, this is the first full-fledged immersive performance in Russia in the tradition theater group Punchdrunk, laid down by their legendary "Sleep No More". Before that, there was only "Normansk" in the Center. Meyerhold, but very few people managed to see him either - the noir walker along the Strugatskys was shown less than ten times. Secondly, "The Returned" is a thing so well executed, multifaceted, historically accurate and erotic that I want to immediately bring here by the hand all the apologists for everything "classical" along with lovers of the emphasized "modern". And thirdly, the performance will be shown only 50 times, and then they will be taken to the USA.

Read Ibsen's play "Ghosts"

Or her summary. For example, . Knowing the plot is a serious trump card, removing in advance possible questions like: “Who are these people?”, “What is happening?” or "Why are these two guys called by the same name?" However, even without a rough idea of ​​the plot, the scattered episodes will form into a puzzle. To put it simply, "Ghosts" - family drama late 19th century, main character haunted by phantoms from the past, radically changing the future.

Do not go with a group of friends or couples arm in arm

Firstly, the organizers are asked not to do this. And secondly, by splitting up, you will be able to see a different set of episodes, the more interesting it will be to compare them later. If it seems to you that you do not understand anything, remember some of your travels. With a guide you will surely find quickly important museum, a palace or a skyscraper, but when you just went wherever your eyes look, you probably stumbled upon an amazing courtyard, incredible graffiti or an illegal rave - and experienced no less delight.

Don't try to follow the plot

You still won't see all the scenes, and that's the point - everything is like in life. Moreover, the space of the house and its design is an absolutely self-sufficient museum of European culture and life of the late 19th century (artists Ruslan Martynov, Ivan But). Just like Dennis Sievers' great London "still life museum", where everything is arranged as if the owners had just left. Sideboards and dressing tables filled with old glass, barber's tools and paraphernalia for smoking, lamps and wallpaper - looking at all this is no less exciting than following the play.

Don't expect a brilliant psychological performance from the actors

The artists are all insanely beautiful, plastic and charismatic. It is generally impossible to take your eyes off the red-haired carpenter giant. And what a flight scene in the corridor when the actors soar up to the ceiling using climbing holds! But don't be fooled: this is not a new Russian drama theatre. To see acting skills XXI century, go to the "ELEPHANT" Brusnikin. The "Returned" team still has a different superpower - an amazing ability not to notice the dense crowd of spectators.

Wear sneakers instead of shoes, lenses instead of glasses

At the entrance you will receive a mask (very comfortable, by the way). In principle, glasses can be worn over it, it's just not very comfortable. Same with shoes - get ready to walk a lot of stairs. And in general, we advise you to familiarize yourself with all these before leaving the house.

Follow moving characters

Like an ambulance in a traffic jam. This is the most easy way achieve total immersion in the spirit of Herman Sr. films.

Do not be afraid to be alone with the character

There is a chance to experience the so-called personal experience. For example, to hear in a whisper something addressed only to you. Actors lure viewers into the room selectively, a guaranteed experience is promised to those who buy VIP tickets for 30,000 rubles. But it is not necessary to do so.

Don't drink wine at the bar

For a glass they will ask 680 rubles. Expensive!

Don't miss the orgy

The main scene of the performance depicts a dumping sin. It is quite difficult to miss this, since almost all the characters participate in it. But this means that almost all spectators gather in one place at once. To pre-occupy convenient places and not to disappear in the flea market, we recommend that you sit down in advance in the most spacious hall of the basement. Landmark - stroboscope.

Wait for the final

In one evening, two loops are played non-stop. After the first, the actors change roles, and the episodes change locations. At the end of the second, there is a big and important finale on top floor in the attic. Spectators are free to come and go at any time, but it's still worth watching the finale. All the dots are really placed there and a well-deserved and delicate catharsis happens.

In late November and early December, the Yeltsin Center hosted the Territory festival, where Yekaterinburg residents could get acquainted with latest trends in contemporary theater. Within educational program Festival theater critics Roman Dolzhansky and Alexey Kiselev spoke about new theatrical terms and paid special attention to immersive theater. Let's talk about what they mean.

As Roman Dolzhansky immediately noted in his lecture “New theatrical terms”, immersive performances are at the peak of their popularity today. It is them that today's theatergoers put in the first place.

“An immersive performance creates the effect of complete immersion of the viewer into the plot of the production. The viewer becomes part of what is happening. Such a theater is also called "quest theater", "promenade theater" or "walking theater"

Today, this kind of action captured everything theater scenes, inviting the audience to leave their usual places in the hall and go on a journey through the world of book characters. “You come to a theater or a gallery and become a participant in this art - you have to touch something at the exhibition for something to appear on it, you have to go somewhere for part of the performance to begin. This is an art that operates with other senses besides vision. The form changes, so the feeling also changes. In other words, this art does not exist without you,” says Alexey Kiselev. He correlates this theater genre with computer games, where the player is given the opportunity to take the place of the protagonist.

FROM English phrase"immersive theater" is translated as "the theater of involvement". This is what conveys it main point- the actor at any time can involve the viewer in the production. Kiss, touch, engage in dialogue with him. The first immersive production is the show "Sleep No More" by the British group "Punchdrunk", which was based on the line of Shakespeare's "Macbeth", but placed in the 30s of the 20th century. The performance took place on the site of a five-story hotel, where actors and spectators in white masks ran around the offices and bars without talking or taking off their masks. The production made quite a splash in the 2000s, but did not receive distribution in Russia. Only ten years later, the play “Normansk” was released in Moscow, in which the audience walked around the city, inhabited by indigo children and “little biters” (as the authors designated “internally independent people with talent not buried in the ground”).

In Yekaterinburg, critics did not find such "walking theatres". “Maybe they are, but they just haven’t received much distribution. Of course you have a large number of quests, which many equate to a promenade theater. Of course, they are very bright, interesting, and the audience there also take the place of the characters and wander around the provided location. Their main difference is that in immersive performance professional actors play with the audience, whose task is not to confuse them, not to frighten them, as in most quests today, but to immerse them in the necessary plot,” Alexey Kiselev emphasized.

Among the iconic immersive performances for Russia, Dolzhansky and Kislev singled out the performance-walker “S.T.A.L.K.E.R”, staged by the Gogol Center based on the computer game of the same name. And it, in turn, is made based on the book of the Strugatsky brothers. Spectators put on headphones, a protective suit and follow in the footsteps of the characters in the game. The main task is to “absorb” the plasticity of the computer hero.

In Cathy Mitchell's Christine, the director makes the minor heroine of August Strindberg's play Miss Julie the main character, which gives the effect of plot uncertainty. The viewer cannot see the whole picture because he is traveling the world. minor character. The sounds of other heroes are heard behind the walls, but this is just an illusion. The viewer sees through the eyes of a secondary heroine, and what happens behind the wall is a simultaneous action.

"The Returned" takes place in an early 19th century mansion in the center of Moscow. The house has 4 floors and about 50 rooms, in each of which a bewitching action is played out. The production is based on Henrik Ibsen's play "Ghosts". For a long time it was banned, both in Russia and in Europe, so such an interest in the performance today is quite understandable.

The most unusual immersive production by Alexei Kiselev was called May Night by the Moscow Puppet Theatre. This performance is impossible to see - there is a bandage on the eyes of the audience. The production is known to the audience through tactile and taste sensations, smells, sounds: the actors recreate the splash of water, the sound of the wind, and even feed those who came.

Roman Dolzhansky and Aleksey Kiselev are sure that the theater of engagement is at the peak of its popularity today and will be in demand for a long time to come. After all, getting into the atmosphere of an immersive performance, the audience briefly falls out of real life. And let them understand that this is all an illusion, they want to return to a new unknown world again and again.

The main rule is no rules.

The entertainment industry is changing and evolving. The latest know-how is immersive theater. The format appeared in New York and literally conquered the world in just a few months.

Here the viewer is completely immersed in the action, because in such a theater in the literal sense. As a rule, a large number of actors are involved in immersive shows, and the events themselves take place in unusual locations.

Events can develop non-linearly - each character has his own story, but they are all intertwined. Often, being at the performance for the second or third time, the audience discovers new stories that the last time could simply go unnoticed.

returned

When: 16, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 August;
September 1, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29;
4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 20, 25, 26, 27 October;
2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 30 November;
1, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 December

The first in Russia and only the fourth in the world successful project this genre. Here, instead of a stage, four floors of the mansion are used, and the audience participate in the show wearing special masks.

To create a performance, the actors had to master unusual methods of interacting with the audience for a long time. During preparation, secret labyrinths and doors appeared in the mansion.

“Seeing all the details and understanding the innovative form of the project is impossible in one visit,” says Miguel, producer, director and choreographer of the show. “240 scenes run in parallel for two and a half hours in 50 rooms of the mansion, some of which are secret.”

Mirror of Carlos Santos

Here the viewer is invited not to the performance, but to dinner. At the same time, they promise that this will be the most unusual dinner that can happen in Moscow. Guests are waiting for an event on the verge of music, theater and performance. Certainly not without delicious snacks and wine.

Queen of Spades

The pinnacle of Tchaikovsky's work is the mystical and terrible opera " Queen of Spades". But what will happen if great music add gloomy interiors and great acting? Spectators are waiting for an atmosphere of passion, excitement and merciless fate. Pushkin himself will be the guide to this world.

About 70 artists are involved in the performance - musicians, opera singers, ballet, dramatic actors. Perfect live sound, virtual scenery and optical illusions allow viewers to feel like participants in the events unfolding right around them.

Moron

Take a journey through the pages novel of the same name Dostoevsky can be in Moscow Drama Theater them. Sergei Yesenin. The performance-journey forces the viewer to become a direct participant in the events, and Dostoevsky's text sounds modern and seems to address a number of today's problems.

Photo from the site "Performances - Struysky Manor"

sleep school

Spectators are given pajamas, laid on specially provided beds and taught to sleep properly. The play "School of Sleep" becomes a unique master class, which was organized by the Moscow Center for Drama and Directing in partnership with the informal theater "Trickster".

Here sleep is presented as a scientific phenomenon that can be controlled. What else can a person need in the 21st century?

Immersion is exactly what happens to an immersive show participant. The role of the viewer is changing - it is no longer a passive observer, but one of the heroes of the action, who can move, choose and sometimes even influence what is happening.

The first wide popularity of the immersive show format was brought by the British theater group Punchdrunk with "Sleep No More", premiered in 2009. A five-story mansion that contains a psychiatric ward of a hospital with doctors and patients, a haunted graveyard, a secluded corner with a couple of lovers hoping no one will see them. Everything is open for research by the participants in the process - the viewer is invited not only to walk and observe, but also to interact with the characters and the surrounding space. The decision about where to be and how much to be included in what is happening is up to everyone.

Freedom to build your own storyline combined with game professional actors and thoughtful surroundings creates unique conditions for experiencing an experience of a completely new quality than in the usual view. An experience more like a live walkthrough computer game or a journey through the film in reality.

The unusual format was picked up by the audience and creative groups in various parts of the world and has grown, acquiring new outlines. Today in Moscow, for those wishing to immerse themselves in the experience of an immersive show, there is plenty to choose from.

You can find theatrical performances similar in structure to the work of Punchdrunk. "" Maxim Didenko and the theater company Ecstàtic - the participants are wearing a mask, around - the world from Pushkin's "Dubrovsky", in which you can touch a rooster, drink vodka and feed the actor with dumplings.

The Meyerhold Center often becomes a platform for immersive action - Yuri Kvyatkovsky and Le Cirque de Charles la Tannes turn all 5 floors of the center into "Normansk" - a city invented by the Strugatsky brothers, which is now open for exploration.

There are more and more immersive game formats that allow you to be the main (or one of the main) hero of the action, create your own individual story and go even further beyond the usual perception.

City walker with elements of a flash mob and psychological training "" makes the city a place to play. The whole process becomes a performance that the participants themselves embody, moving around Moscow and following the instructions that sound simultaneously in the headphones of all 50 people.