Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre

Mikhail Bulgakov

The Master's Comedian

Theatrical performance in two acts based on the play of light and music "The Cabal of Hypocrites"

Opening - 02.10.2013. (Big Auditorium)

Duration - 2 h 40 min

16+

Creative team:

Set Designer
Alexey Poray-Koshits

Costumes Designer
Elena Orlova

Choreographer
Maria Korablyova

Light Designer
Denis Solntsev

Animation
Vadim Dulenko

Music Selection
Sergey Patramanskis

Mikhail Bulgakov is one of the most famous Russian writers. And his relationship with Riga is not limited to a well-known fact that his wife Helen was born here. It is much less widely known that just in this city exactly 80 years ago, in 1933, on the stage of the Russian Theater took place the first opening of Bulgakov’s play about the great French playwright Moliere – “The Cabal of Hypocrites".

The production was called "The Master’s Comedians". It was directed by Rudolph Ungern, starring Yuri Yurovsky.

In 1970, the same piece was staged by Leonid Belyavsky, who called the production "The Life of Monsieur de Moliere."

On the 130th anniversary, the Riga Russian Theatre opens the season with a production by its Artistic Director Igor Konyaev: this is the third version of the play "The Cabal of Hypocrites" - and this time the name of the production corresponds with the wishes of Mikhail Bulgakov’s, who once stated in a letter: "In the Russian theater in Riga "Moliere" is on under the title "The Master’s Comedians", but it would be better to call it "The Master’s Comedian".

A life of a great man always attracts attention. And if it is also a relationship between two great men - the Sun King Louis XIV and playwright Moliere - it is twice as interesting. They both sought to reach an ideal. One was creating a great monarchy, the second - a great theater. So, the Master and his Comedian will meet on the stage - in a life, full of intrigue, passion and dramatic events - sometimes funny, sometimes very sad.