Three Zilova in the “Duck Hunt” in the new space of “Taganka”

A new interpretation of Vampilov’s famous text is a plastic performance by the Tagans, in which there are three Zilovs.

Did Alexander Vampilov himself ever think that the hero of his play “Duck Hunt” would be called “Russian Hamlet”. But this is exactly what theater critics write now.

“The choice of the play was spontaneous, since this performance was born from the laboratory that takes place here. The task was to take Soviet material. The work was supposed to be plastic, in general, it turned out like that, ”Anna Zakusova, director-choreographer of the performance, said before the premiere.

The new space of Taganka – the Stage on Fakelny, in which the actors speak to the audience in the language of plasticity, is practically a home theater. A cozy, miniature space allows the viewer to plunge into the process to the maximum. And it is through plasticity that the heroes of the production express everything that cannot be expressed in words. And the “three-headed” Zilov comprehends the secrets of his own being, looking for an answer to the Hamlet question “to be or not to be.”

“Vampilov, continuing the traditions of Chekhov and Gogol, speaks of “superfluous people”, and I understand that I know such people, I know the Zilovs. I’m interested in talking about them, about these real people. We see Zilov at a dramatically tense moment in his life, on the threshold that needs to be crossed. The moment that forces Zilov to action. The whole play is a memory, even like a dream. And this unreality of what is happening makes it possible to speak the language of movement, body and plasticity … ”- this is how director and choreographer Anna Zakusova commented on her work on the performance.

The production of “Duck Hunt” was the first performance that was included in the repertoire of the Taganka Theater according to the results of the director’s laboratory “Likbez”. As it seemed, probably, not only to the correspondents of our publication, every movement of the actors is “an encrypted message, a choreography with meaning”. And actually the text itself in the performance is “present” only where it is indispensable.

“Hunter” either for ducks, or for himself, Viktor Zilov is played by three actors at once – of different ages and views. A difficult period in the hero’s life – “formation” or “departure” – is plastically depicted “three times” and decomposed into images in such a way that the viewer is sometimes confused in what is happening, missing the details and nuances of the game of each of the three.

The performance stars Sergey Kirpichenok, Philip Kotov, Alexander Zaryadin, Andrey Sychev, Ivan Loskutov, Roman Kolotukhin, Nikita Luchikhin, Anna Safronova, Daria Desnitskaya, Maria Matveeva and Elizaveta Vysotskaya.

And everything starts, as it should be in classical dramaturgy: from a long silent scene (a la “the auditor is coming to us”), then chaos turns into a housewarming party, and life will continue in three (like Charles I from three sides of Anthony Van Dyck) dimensions Zilova. Yes, he cannot be alone – one person cannot do so many stupid things. What is happening on the stage is a depressing holiday with a photo session or a pause before leaving … A wonderful soundtrack helps the audience feel the nerve of the “hunt” and accept the hero as he turned out after “shaking up three times” his lived life.

Modest scenery, but bright jackets of heroes, vinyl records and Strugatskys with Beatles, incredible bouffants and everyday life – the era of the 60s of the last century is shown in the play through the lamp atmosphere of the half-empty apartment of the hero, who either “sums up”, or is about to “move up high.”

Phone calls, memories, boredom, reflection, self-discovery, disgust for loved ones – these are the “components” of all three Zilovs in the interpretation of the Taganka actors.

“Such a person — indeed, like Hamlet — will always exist, in any society. In any company there is always such a Zilov, ”said Philip Kotov, one of the Zilovs, about the main character.

We watch the premiere of the Taganka Theater (even if the new space is located in a different place) and think – Are we Zilovs?

Vladimir Sabadash, Anna Duhon.

Photo by Sergey Vinogradov.