The play “Tureen, or Boiling Passion” is an enthreprise production of the French play of the same name by Robert Lamoura, directed by Gennady Trostyanetsky. This is a sitcom with organically incorporated elements of vaudeville and even operetta.
The performance looks in one breath, which is not surprising, because on the stage Nina Usatova, Andrei Urgant and Igor Sklyar.
Who is the author?
Robber Lamour (Lamour) is a pop singer unusually popular in France in the 50s of the last century. In addition to music, he was engaged in directing, starring in films, went on stage, wrote plays and scripts.
Comedy is a genre to which Robber Lamura gave his whole life. He began his career in restaurants and clubs, performing with sketches, humorous sketches, humorous songs and improvisations, which are now called stand-up comedy.
The first plays for street, in the literal sense of the word - tabloid productions, Robber began to write during the war years. Of course, these were comedies.
As a theater actor, Robber tried himself in the 50s, already being a famous and beloved chansonnier and sought-after screenwriter. Ten years later, in the 60s, Lamur released his first film, in which he tried on the role of the director - “Charming”. Following the debut came the second film, “And here is the brunette!”. The scripts were worked out by Robber himself, and they were based on his plays.
Lamura went to “retire” in 1991, demonstratively saying goodbye to cinema, but he “didn’t bow to the theater” and almost until his death he continued to write scripts, plays and staged performances.
Robber Lamour died in 2011, in Boulogne-Billancourt - one of the suburbs of Paris, whose theatrical stage and gave most of his life.
About what?
“Tureen” - a play with a simple storyline, filled with intrigue, unexpected twists and situations that viewers laugh at the top of their voices. The action on the stage is very dynamic, captures the hall immediately, not letting you get bored for a minute.
The essence of the play is that somewhere in the vineyards in Bordeaux lives a very rich elderly lady. The maid calls her “Tureen” behind her eyes, and the performance is built around the desire of the greedy nephew of the lady to take possession of her inheritance, but not only ... The nephew vaguely suspects that someone else is pulling his hands to the vineyard, but does not suspect that his competitors are Auntie’s servant and her fiancé, planning not only the seizure of the inheritance, but also “the perfect murder of the Tureen.”
Despite the detective story, this is a comedy that is incredibly funny and kind. Over the course of two acts, the elderly lady successfully resists intrigues, responds with her own intrigues, and keeps the vineyard intact with honor.
In addition to sparkling dialogues, skillfully emphasized by facial expressions, plastic and body language, in action quite a lot from comedy. This adds to the play “Tureen, or Boiling Passions” in the audience’s reviews of emotional and detailed emotions, instead of dry “I liked it ...”, which many comedic enterprises suffer from.
Who is the director?
Gennady Rafailovich Trostyanetsky is a directing guru, recognized by both viewers and colleagues. Among his regalia are the State Prize of the RSFSR named after KS Stanislavsky, the Latvian National Theater Award “Night of the Lyceum”, three “Golden Spotlights” and a medal for his contribution to the development of national culture.
The play "Tureen, or Boiling Passion" is one of the few works of the master both in the entreprise and in the comedy genre. As the director himself talked about his production, it was easy to work on the play, rehearsals and gigs were full of humor, much of the experience of the young years was recalled and useful, when Gennady Rafailovich was seriously carried away by the art of pantomime.
Who is on stage?
In the play about Tureen, the actors do not change, as is inherent in most antreprise productions.
Starring, of course, Nina Usatova and Andrei Urgant. Usatova was played by Aunt Violet, the elderly owner of the vineyard, and Urgant, her money-hungry nephew.
The remaining characters were divided among themselves by Zoya Buryak, Alexander Volkov, Svetlana Pismichenko, Igor Sklyar.
How long does it take?
The action consists of two acts separated by intermission. The total duration of the play “Tureen, or Boiling Passion” is 2 hours; time for intermission is added to them, which may differ in different cities.
For example, in St. Petersburg, the break was taken as long as 25 minutes, and in Omsk it lasted only 10 minutes. Therefore, it is impossible to say exactly how much time the stay in the theater will require, it depends on the organizers of the show, that is, on the party receiving the troupe.
How does it look?
“Tureen ...” - a performance that looks at one go, interrupted by streams of laughter. Although the action is quite long, the plot unfolds over a couple of hours, so the viewer does not have time to get tired.
The play of the artists is extremely dynamic, nothing superfluous happens on the stage, literally every movement is not accidental, but is designed to enhance the effect of the uttered remark or to illustrate the emotions of the characters.
There is no lingering inherent in many dramatic performances, dull pauses, during which the audience forgets what they are talking about, as, indeed, the artists themselves. On the contrary, everything is extremely fast, clear, verified and very professional, which is not surprising, given the cast and experience of the director.
In which genre?
The genre of the play is designated as a comedy, but it can also be attributed to the ironic detective. The issue of the genre is one of the most discussed topics among the reviews of viewers who visited the production.
It can be stated unequivocally that in the play there are no elements of operetta, vaudeville, tragedyfare and other elements that divert the hall’s attention to the side. The director did not deviate from the classical canons. Costumes are also not extravagant, as are the scenery. Everything is quite simple and concise, there is nothing superfluous to distract artists from the game.
What do they say?
Most people who watched the production immediately begin to discuss the play “Tureen ...”. Reviews of the performance are an occasion to once again experience a lot of positive emotions received when watching, and again laugh at the scenes you like.
Of course, not all the views of the audience are full of positive. For example, among the written reviews, many distinguish the game of Usatova and Urgant, describing the work of other artists as "presses and antics."
Mostly young viewers write, for which, most likely, the pantomime art techniques used by the director are not clear.
At one of the theater portals, where the performance has been discussed since 2008, the audience’s reviews, on the contrary, are full of gratitude to the artists.
Opinions of the public also depend on the region. In the crowded, spoiled spectacles of the cities of the central European part of our country, viewers perceive much more critical any theatrical production, and criticism is rarely justified and usually comes down to the word "Fu!". In provincial and remote regions from the capital, where there are few cultural events, people come initially with a positive attitude, with flowers, and after watching the performance they leave the same kind reviews about him.
In general, “Tureen ...” needs to be watched if there is a desire to see a solid, high-quality comedy without vulgarity and domestic blackness. This performance is staged in the best classical traditions, which, probably, is its main advantage.