This year marks the 35th anniversary of the release of the lyrical comedy âLove and Pigeonsâ. The play, reviews of which are the most enthusiastic, and even more so. The play itself was written in 1981 by the Russian playwright and screenwriter Vladimir Pavlovich Gurkin, who witnessed the real story of the Kuzyakins.
How did the "Theater on Serpukhovka"
In 1991, the first International Clown Festival in Russia was held under the direction of Teresa Gannibalovna Durova, a hereditary circus artist. More than three hundred stars of the arena demonstrated their skills for several days. Representatives from Russia, Bulgaria, Japan and the United States performed at festivals. When the event ended, several participants were inspired by the idea of ââcreating a repertoire theater. They simply explained their views: clowns should not only be on the arena, but also on the stage. So in 1991 the Moscow Clownery Theater appeared under the direction of Teresa Durova.
Since 1993, the theater opened its doors to its first public. By the way, the performances were intended for small spectators. In less than thirty years, the theater managed to become the main children's theater in the country. It is the only one of its kind stationary repertoire theater that works in the genre of clowning. Today the repertoire of the stage has expanded. Now the productions are divided into children and adults.
In 2010, by the decision of his artistic director, it was renamed âThe Theater on Serpukhovkaâ. The fact is that the audience was very reluctant to visit the so-called clownery theater, since they associated clowns with the circus. Rebranding specialists have chosen a more suitable and intriguing name for the theater.
The repertoire of the theater is quite diverse. It includes musicals and global musical performances. The most realistic drama in Theatrium turns into an easy production. Among the performances of the stage are children's productions of âThe Flying Shipâ, âFlintâ, âThe Prince and the Pauperâ, âThe Scarlet Flowerâ, âAladdin's Magic Lampâ, âJapanese Tale: Samurai Swordâ. Adults can enjoy the performances âIf only there were no childrenâ, âThe best days from the life of Oblomovâ, âFrankEinsteinâ, âLove and dovesâ. The performances of the Teatrium na Serpukhovka always enjoy a keen interest from the public.
The building and premises of the âTeatrium na Serpukhovkaâ in Moscow
The former clownery theater is located in Moscow on Pavlovskaya street, in house number six. In front of the building is a small area with convenient parking for private cars. You can get to the Teatrium in various ways - by taxi, own car, metro, bus, trolleybus, tram or even electric train. The nearest metro station is Serpukhovskaya, from which you have to walk some more distance. However, other types of public transport will also have to take a walk. But itâs worth it, because the âTeatriumâ is such an interesting place that every intelligent person should visit it at least once in a lifetime.
The theater itself is not adapted for visiting a large number of people. In fact, the Teatrium building is a former cultural center from the Soviet past. And the situation inside resembles the good old days with its long lines - to the toilet, buffet, wardrobe. A large crowd of spectators gather in the intermission and as a result of this, some inconvenience can be experienced. In addition, the room from afar resembles an apartment building, even the doors to the auditorium look quite ordinary.
However, the auditorium meets all European standards. It is equipped with air conditioning and comfortable soft chairs, arranged in such a way as to provide good visibility from almost every place. The stage is large, well-lit, and the colorful scenery of most productions is eye-catching.
The ticket office of the Teatrium na Serpukhovka is open every day from 11-00 to 18-00 from Monday to Friday. Tickets for performances can be purchased either by visiting the theater in person or by ordering online.
Acting troupe of the theater
Since the main activity of the theater is comedy and musical performances, the leading actors include mainly professionals who are somehow connected with the stage and circus. Many of them graduated from the circus variety school. And all of them can sing, without exception. Otherwise, what kind of musical piece without a beautiful song accompaniment?
In the "Theater in Serpukhovka" there are practically no leading and secondary actors. It all depends on the performance and its cast. But even in extras, stage participants feel like real stars. Indeed, almost all the performances of the âTeatriumâ are sparkling and fun.
In the "Theater on Serpukhovka" mainly young actors serve. The average age of the theater does not exceed 50 years. The acting troupe includes such artists as Rufat Akchurin, Violetta Buchinskaya, Andrey Ermokhin, Sergey Golubev, Sergey Lobanov, Julia Naduvaeva, Veronika Kim, Daria Korshunova and others. Many of them starred in popular Russian films and TV shows.
About the author of the script âLove and Pigeonsâ
The play, the reviews of which are mostly the most favorable, is based on the play by Vladimir Pavlovich Gurkin, a member of the Union of Writers of Russia, and part-time actor, playwright, director. Coming from the Perm region, Vladimir Pavlovich grew up in the Irkutsk region. From childhood, the boy was fascinated by the colorful nature of Eastern Siberia and the sparkling humor of its inhabitants. After graduating from the army, the acting department of the Irkutsk Theater School, Vladimir joined the Irkutsk Youth Theater, then - in the Omsk Drama Theater.
Vladimir Gurkin began to write as a teenager. At first it was plain sketches and poems. But the play âLove and Pigeonsâ became the authorâs most famous masterpiece. The play script for this work was accepted with a bang by many theater directors. In addition, according to the play in 1984, the television version of the same name was filmed by a young director Vladimir Menshov. And the reviews about the play âLove and Pigeonsâ are usually the most positive.
The life of Vladimir Gurkin ended tragically. A talented actor, screenwriter and director died in 2010 from lung cancer. The master was buried at the Cheremkhov city cemetery.
Summary of the legendary play
Director Vasily Mishchenko in the production of âLove and Pigeonsâ tried to get as close as possible to the original play. At the same time, original episodes with musical accompaniment were introduced into the play. Many of them caused a storm of applause from the audience.
The plot of the play is quite straightforward and written based on a real story. In one Siberian village, the family of the timber industry worker Vasily Kuzyakin and his wife Nadyukha live in love and harmony. He brings up a couple of three wonderful children - the eldest Lyudmila, who after an unsuccessful marriage returned to her father's house, the average techie son Lenka and the youngest schoolgirl Olka. The latter is the fatherâs favorite and faithful companion in all his endeavors.
Relations between spouses meet all the vicissitudes of life. Nadezhda considers her husband a balamut and a dope, but forgives him the main passion of his life - pigeons. Scolding a spouse for family money spent on feathered family and threatening to "rip off the damned Herods' Bosco," she still never brings her threats to fruition. Indeed, in addition to this "addiction" Vasily is almost an ideal husband. He is an excellent master of his craft, in good standing with employees and neighbors. He does not smoke, practically does not drink, immensely loves his wife, children and pigeons.
The closest neighbors of the Kuzyakins are Baba Shura and grandfather Mitya. Despite old age, real passions rage between spouses. A great lover of drinking, Uncle Mitya tries in every possible way to use every opportunity to âlook into a glassâ. Baba Shura strictly watches the hooligan spouse and finds him in his favorite pastime, wherever he hides.
Once, having received an industrial injury in the service, Vasily receives compensation - a trip to the sea, where he has never been. There he meets Raisa Zakharovna, an employee of the personnel department of the timber industry enterprise, a lady of the city, sophisticated, very jaunty and ... extremely lonely. Between them, a romance breaks out. Interesting unusual stories by Raisa Zakharovna and her exalted behavior fascinate Vasily so much that he does not return home from the resort, but settles with his new lover. Honest Kuzyakin writes a letter to his family explaining his behavior.
However, Raisa Zakharovna (and Alena Yakovleva plays her in the second composition), this recognition seems insufficient and she goes to visit the Kuzyakins family. Accepted at first with great hospitality, she is defeated when Hope understands who is in front of her.
Having returned home in a very battered form, Raisa Zakharovna tries to complain to her beloved. But here she is waiting for misunderstanding. Vasily suddenly wakes up from a dream and goes home.
But so simply he is not able to return. Exhausted by depression and betrayal, Nadezhda drives her husband out of the house. Children are also hostile, and the only son threatens to kill his father for the insult inflicted on his mother.
Vasily settles in a hut on the banks of the river. Hope, on reflection at leisure, secretly makes his way to him for a serious conversation. As a result of six-month meetings of the spouses on the river, the woman becomes pregnant. Vasily returns home. His arrival coincides with the triumphal wires of Lenka to the army.
The production is full of many comic episodes and live musical accompaniment. The duration of the performance âLove and Pigeonsâ is 120 minutes.
Leading roles and performers: Nadyukha and Vasily
Everyone knows that star actors played in the film. The play âLove and Pigeonsâ in Moscow is no different from the film. For example, the legendary couple of Vasily and Nadezhda is represented by Anatoly Zhuravlev and Maria Golubkina. In the second part, the actress is replaced by the equally famous Olesya Zheleznyak. I must say that the first Nadiaha (performed by Golubkina) is a woman of strict rules without a hint of femininity. A sharp, fast character without feminine softness. Zheleznyak compared to Maria is more humorous and understandable to the viewer. Although the brilliant game of Golubkina could not but fascinate the public, and the rare comic moments with her participation caused a homeric laughter. However, what a sin to conceal, both cannot be compared with the unique Nina Doroshina, whose antics are not destined to be repeated to anyone.
Anatoly Zhuravlev tried to personify Vasily Kuzyakin in all the village glory. He turned out a loud, angular and fussy man. The cinematic Vasily, performed by Alexander Mikhailov, is more likely a rural intellectual than an uncouth dork. The only thing that unites these two characters is the immense love of pigeons.
Who plays Raisa Zakharovna
The eternal rival of the faithful wife of Nadezhda, the villain from the personnel department of the timber industry enterprise performed by the brilliant Olga Prokofieva turned out to be rather tragicomic and deeply unhappy. At first, the woman was careless, like a spring bird. The reason for this is the new love of Raisa Zakharovna. In the second composition, her role is played by Alena Yakovleva. Her lover is more pathetic and intellectual. But both Raisa Zakharovna turned out to be extraordinary and interesting, sometimes prone to unusual lunges. So the audience remembered the find of the director of the play "Love and Pigeons" Vasily Mishchenko. After the departure of her beloved Vasily Kuzyakin, Raisa Zakharovna expresses her despair and resentment through her solo pantomime. This episode caused the audience to cry with laughter.
Olga Tumaikina and Yelena Biryukova also played the female saboteur in different compositions. Each actress brought her unique zest to the image of Raisa Zakharovna.
Children of the Kuzyakins: Lyudka, Leshka, Olka
The eldest daughter of the Kuzyakins, Lyudmila, was played by the magnificent Natalya Gromushkina, who is producing the play. Her Lyudka turned out to be strict and impregnable on the one hand, and on the other a mystery girl who loves an unfaithful husband and is anxiously awaiting news from him. Having become an involuntary participant in family scandals, she prefers to remain silent and raises her voice in case of extreme resentment and misunderstanding. In general, Lyudmila Kuzyakina in the version of Natalia Gromushkina is a bright, imaginative, ambiguous and very noticeable girl.
The youngest children of the spouses Lenya and Olya performed by young, still not too well-known actors Ivan Dubrovsky and Elena Karpovich organically fit into the action. Their remarks and movements did not bring disharmony into the episodes, but, on the contrary, supplemented them.
Colorful couple - Grandfather Mitya and Baba Shura
The unforgettable and magnificent Sergey Jurassic at one time created the image of a rural drunkard, slopping Uncle Mitya, which, it seemed, could not be played by anyone. However, Mikhail Zhigalov in The Love and Doves of the Teatrium na Serpukhovka exceeded all expectations. His character is less fussy and more sedate, but just as funny and inventive. Sometimes it seems that the actor holds the whole performance.
Baba Shura performed by Raisa Ryazanova is a woman with a sense of humor and severity in relation to her husband. She easily calculates all his ideas and finds a hubby in the most secluded places. Trying not to depart from the written text according to the script, the couple could still bring in their little interesting touches. By the way, in another cast of women, Shuru in the play âLove and Pigeonsâ Tatyana Orlova impressed the audience with her original approach and wit.
Producer and director of the production
Russian actress Natalya Gromushkina, not wanting to stop on the achieved successes, at one point decided to start producing productions. Born in an intelligent family (father - doctor of historical sciences, mother - translator, member of the Union of Journalists), she was doomed to a creative profession. For her rather short life, Natalia managed to be a member of the children's vocal and instrumental ensemble, to dance, enter the Russian Academy of Theater Arts at the faculty of directing, and star in cult TV shows. As a producer, Gromushkina organized such performances as âMemorial Prayer or Violinist on the Roof,â âMy Fair Kat,â and the musical âCabaretâ. Today she is a successful manager of the play âLove and Pigeonsâ. The actors involved in this production gladly accepted Natalya into her team, where she successfully played the eldest daughter of the Kuzyakins, Lyudmila. Both the role and the organization were successful for the actress.
The performance was staged by the student of Oleg Tabakov, the first theatrical performer of the role of Lenka, actor Vasily Mishchenko. Having a certain courage, he decided to repeat the legendary film on the stage. Trying practically not to depart from the text and scenes, the director simply transferred the action of the film to the theater stage. Of course, some nuances still distinguish the performance from the film. For example, solo pantomimes of the main characters, musical inclusions and sharp words make the production quite bright and colorful. Discussions of sensitive topics in combination with unobtrusive obscene expressions sometimes lead the viewer into a light shock. However, the modern public is more pretentious than the Soviet audience of a favorite film.
How was the performance created?
As you know, the success of the production depends not only on the actors' play. The play âLove and Pigeonsâ is no exception. Here, scenery, costumes, and lighting are also important. I must say that the design of the part-staged production of Vasily Mashchenko is quite specific. On the one hand, decorators led by Sergei Timokhin tried to reproduce the atmosphere of a rural courtyard. Bed linen on a rope, an old table and barbed chairs should be associated with the viewer with the cozy Kuzyakin house. Throughout the performance, the scenery does not change almost never. Unless the ladder symbolizing a dovecote is removed. Of course, wildlife on the stage is difficult to reproduce. Therefore, the viewer can guess about the sea landscapes only by listening to the distant cries of seagulls and the sound of the surf.
Costumes for heroes are designed in the style of the eighties of the last century. The plain chintz outfits of heroines, caps, harem pants and felt boots really resembled pre-perestroika times. The Kuzyakin's youngest daughter, Olga, flaunts a little in school uniform with a white apron and a red pioneer tie. However, given the fact that the girl is attending school, this may be appropriate.
The music for the performance was written by composer Alexei Ponomarev. Lyrical and funny melodies accompanied the performance all the time. The characters on stage dance, sing and show pantomime, depending on the directorâs intention. The result was a bright, saturated performance, which is impossible to forget for a long time.
Favorite Quotes from the Play
A beautiful, kind and cheerful production inspires optimism not only with the good game of those who play. In the play âLove and Pigeonsâ there are a lot of phrases and words that the viewer loved even in the film by Vladimir Menshov. You probably can't find a middle-aged person who doesn't know the key quotes. Vasily Mishchenko decided not to depart from the script and included colorful expressions in his production. Hope is expressed by his beloved âLyudk, and Lyudk!â, âWhat is a dog-dog?â, âIs it so cool to uncle to us?â, âWhat kind of love?â, âHow to live, Uncle Mity?â, âItâs direct why it would have killed the parasite!â, âIâll chop off your bosoms with doves!â
Basil, in turn, ends his every phrase with an exclamation of "aha." Also memorable expressions of the protagonist were: âAnd the bogeyman took the money! ..â, âEven you swung twenty-five rubles, Nadyukha, huh?â, âBut who will tie him now (tie)?â All! Went to the resort! ".
But, perhaps, Uncle Mitya pours the most sparkling phrases. This is where there is no expression - a quote! Here and his âBastille Day wastedâ, âThat's why the miners!â That is, these are people from the mountains "," Kikimor I do not understand ... Take her away, Hope! "," Mycardial infarction! Here is such a scar! â,â Sorry ... What prevented you from hiding money. â
Whole dialogues of heroes are also fun. In a word, âLove and Pigeonsâ is a production that can be quoted from the first word.
The play "Love and Pigeons": reviews of the audience
After watching the production of Vasily Mishchenko, the public perceived it ambiguously. Someone received her with delight and joy. Others constantly compared the performance with the famous film and found its flaws. The game of individual actors was also evaluated. According to many viewers, the performance was saved by the presence of People's Artist Raisa Ryazanova and Honored Artist Mikhail Zhigalov. If not for the game of the latter, the performance would have lost its charm.
The audience liked the game of Olga Prokofieva. Her Raisa Zakharovna came out as an extravagant and exalted woman. But Maria Golubkina in the image of Nadezhda seemed dry and extremely strict to many. But the main character, who was played by Anatoly Zhuravlev, was most struck by all. His Vasily Kuzyakin came out extremely noisy and hyperactive. Perhaps the loud voice was explained by the weak acoustic capabilities of the auditorium. Be that as it may, the play âLove and Pigeonsâ in âThe Theater on Serpukhovkaâ is a sight worthy of close attention.