“Hero of the Occasion” («Виновник торжества»)
Theatrical fairy tale for adults. Legendary play (over 500 shows).
Super-comedy in two acts with one intermission.
Based on the play “Hero of the Occasion” («Виновник торжества») by B. Ratser and V. Konstantinov.
This legendary play (over 500 shows) has been performed to sold-out crowds for many years and is rightfully considered one of the best St. Petersburg comedies!
And this play is the last and perhaps the best joint work of the famous great playwrights Boris Ratser and Vladimir Konstantinov.
A simple story about intertwined human destinies told by playwrights in the genre of vaudeville. The grotesque, buffoonish style, tragicomic effect and stuttering humor are combined with tenderness, openness, and a certain naivety of the characters.
In the apartment of Vera Mikhailovna, an enigmatic St. Petersburg lady, circumstances throw together several very different but positive people. Leonid the marine biologist, Igor the failed actor, Varia the provincial girl, Eliseeva the theatrical critic, Vadim Petrovich the retired colonel… It seems that nothing can be common between these people; they are so different, almost worlds apart. But as soon as they meet in one place, amazing things start happening. This classic lyrical comedy combined with situation comedy makes the audience literally laugh themselves to tears.
From the first bars of music, the viewer finds himself in a real fairy tale, as if the melody tells in advance about the twists and turns of the story. Here it is light, bright, delicate. And then a kind of “explosion,” an orchestral tutti, as a sharp turn of fate.
Vera Mikhailovna, the landlady, is a psychic. Sometimes it seems that she knows everything in advance. She resembles a good witch leading her unexpected guests into a world of happiness and love.
Leonid and Varia find this love, and once they run into each other, they realize they will never be able to part. The theater critic Yeliseeva and the failed actor Igor suddenly realize that they have long been in love with each other hopelessly. Vadim Petrovich, a retired colonel, finally decides to confess his feelings to Vera Mikhailovna.
This is a play about love. About the fact that the mask a person wears very often hides his/her true face. About the fact that it’s one step from love to hate, as well as from hate to love. About the fact that if you believe in a miracle, it’s bound to happen. Fairy tales always have a good ending. And “Hero of the Occasion” proves it.
In addition, this play is an “icon” of the Anna Samokhina St. Petersburg Maly Comedy Theater. For many years it has been starring such famous actors as Honored Artist of Russia Anna Samokhina (Eliseeva the theatrical critic), People’s Artist of Russia Mikhail Svetin (Vadim Petrovich, this role was the last theater work for M. Svetin), actress of the Nikolay Akimov Saint Petersburg Comedy Theatre, mother of Ivan Urgant, Honored Artist of Russia Valeria Kiseleva (Vera Mikhailovna), and Andrei Gaidulian (Leonid).
Director – Valerii Nikitenko, People’s Artist of Russia.
The play’s cast includes: People’s Artist of Russia Iurii Lazarev / People’s Artist of Russia Ivan Krasko / Honored Artist of Russia Boris Smolkin / Semen Furman, Honored Artist of Russia Aleksandr Vasilev / Mikhail Nikolaev, Honored Artist of Russia Natalia Andreeva / Olga Bitiukova / Irina Cherezova, Denis Zaitsev / Konstantin Kuleshov, Natalia Lyzhina / Uliana Chekmeneva, Iulia Rudina / Anna Luttseva / Natalia Korolskaia and others.
Produced and managed by Grigorii Oleinikov.
Duration of the performance with intermission – 170 min.