"King Lear" in "Satyricon": reviews of theatergoers, actors and roles, plot, director, theater address and ticketing

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The theater as a place for public entertainment has lost some of its power with the advent of television in our lives. However, there are still performances that are very popular. A vivid proof of this is the "King Lear" of the "Satyricon". The audience's feedback on this colorful performance encourages many residents and guests of the capital to return to the theater again and enjoy the performance of professional actors.

What is the piece about?

The plot of the work "King Lear" in the "Satyricon" the actors beat in a special way, taking into account all modern trends in art. The action takes place in Great Britain, time - the XI century. The legendary ruler - King Lear - plans to leave the throne, but for this he needs to divide his possessions between three heirs. Unable to share everything equally, the ruler asks each of them about how much she appreciates, respects and loves him. older sisterslies desperately, and the youngest daughter named Cordelia declares that her love cannot be measured in worldly values. Lear does not believe the girl and disowns her, driving her away with her protector, the Earl of Kent. As a result, the kingdom is divided in half between the two eldest heirs.

Soon, the new rulers are hosting a reception where they show off their real faces. The King is horrified by his blindness and how fake he has raised his own children. The political situation in the kingdom is escalating every day, and as a result, the older daughters drive Lear out of their own palace, leaving only the faithful jester with him. In parallel with this, a storyline develops, in which the Earl of Gloucester, his own son Edgar and the illegitimate Edmund take part.

Gloucester joins Lear in the steppe, as well as the only defender of Cordelia - Kent. The daughters of the king want to kill their father, the illegitimate son of Gloucester also wants to take the life of a parent in order to receive an inheritance. The company falls into a trap and the old count loses his sight, Edgar takes custody of him, who even has to kill the servant sent to finish what he started.

According to literary critics, the real tragedy should be considered the problem of fathers and children in the play "King Lear". "Satyricon" significantly enhances the degree of drama, which allows you to feel the spirit of a cruel era. Cordelia decides to go to war against her own sisters, and as a result of the battle, she and her father are prisoners in prison. Edmund intends to kill both, and for this he even bribesone of the prison officers. Thanks to the Duke of Albany, the plans of the illegitimate son of Gloucester become known to everyone, and he dies in a duel with his half-brother.

Repentant Edmund, being on his deathbed, tries to cancel his order, but Cordelia is already dead. One of the sisters poisoned the other and then committed suicide, unable to bear the grief. The king takes the body of his youngest daughter out of prison, after which he dies. Edgar tells that his father could not overcome all the misfortunes that fell on his head, and also departed to another world. The Earl of Kent declares that he would like to leave after the king, but submits to the Duke of Albany, who restores his status at court.

About the author

The idea of staging the play “King Lear” in the “Satyricon” has been in the air since the very beginning of the 2000s, and it is connected primarily with interest in the personality of the author. William Shakespeare, who wrote this tragedy, is known as one of the greatest playwrights on the planet, his works have been translated into almost all existing languages. Being a resident of London, he became not only a successful writer, but also a talented actor, as well as the head of the theater studio “Servants of the King”.

A huge number of questions raises the personality of the writer, since the small legacy of documents that has survived today does not allow us to form a specific idea of her. Some literary critics believe that such an author as Shakespeare did not exist at all, and all his works were created by other people, however, the vast majority of researchersindividuals reject this view.

King Lear is considered to be one of the finest tragedies ever written in the English language. Shakespeare received a large number of accolades during his lifetime, especially from Victorians and representatives of romanticism. Even in the 21st century, his work is the subject of study by the world's leading literary scholars, who rethink the work of the British author in accordance with the current cultural situation in society.

It is believed that the creation of the work of the English writer was inspired by a legend originating from ancient times. The legend of daughters who betrayed their own father was not translated into English until the 14th century. It is known that at the end of the 16th century in the theaters of Britain there was a successful premiere of a production called The Tragic History of King Lear, some literary scholars believe that its author is Shakespeare, who later gave the play a new name. There are also documents confirming that Shakespeare finished work on the play only in 1606. Thus, the question of authorship of the work is still open.

Despite this, one of the most popular performances in Moscow for several years in a row has been “King Lear” in the “Satyricon”, reviews of this unusual production attract art lovers here every year. Some of them are happy to discuss how relevant the thesis of the play is for today, and discuss it during the intermission or after the performance.

Who embodies medievalpassion?

One of the main components of the success of "King Lear" in the "Satyricon" is the actors and roles, correctly distributed between them. The star of the production is Konstantin Raikin, who took over the management of the theater in 1987 after the death of his father, the famous satirist Arkady Raikin. Critics note that it is thanks to his original reading of the personality of the king that the performance looks incredibly organic, and the viewer willy-nilly begins to empathize with the characters.

Since members of the theater troupe are also employed in the production of films, it is often necessary to form a reserve cast for productions. This fate did not bypass the "King Lear" in the "Satyricon", the actors and the roles distributed between them rarely, but still change. For example, the role of Prince Edgar is alternately played by Daniil Pugaev and Artem Osipov, although both of them played less significant characters at one time. The distribution of roles is most often carried out several months before the start of the season, so the actors can build their work schedule in advance.

Only after watching the performance, the viewer can understand why it was necessary to stage “King Lear” in “Satyricon”: the actors here give all their best, trying to give the audience the maximum pleasure from watching. The roles of the Dukes of Albany, Conuel and Burgundy are successively assigned to Vladimir Bolshov, Konstantin Tretyakov and Yakov Lomkin. All these experienced actors have been working in the theater for more than 10 years, and the replacements for these bright specialists in this performance are simplyno.

All female characters are at the mercy of the most talented actresses who manage to combine theater and cinema, for example, Glafira Tarkhanova, known to a wide range of viewers, plays Cordelia. The roles of the other two daughters, Goneril and Regan, are played by Marina Drovosekova and Agrippina Steklova, the girls do not have understudies, so you can see them at every performance. The jester in the production of the theater has a highly developed feminine principle, so his ladies play - Elena Bereznova and Elizaveta Kardenas.

According to theatergoers, the production is very popular due to the presence of Konstantin Raikin, who plays King Lear. The performance of "Satyricon", the actors involved in it, the situation - all this pales against the background of the talent of the son of a satirist famous in the Soviet Union. However, they note that the king remains so only against the background of his retinue, so the role of each member of the troupe in the production is quite large.

Without whom the performance would not have taken place?

The production is directed by Yuri Butusov, who began working with the Konstantin Raikin Theater in 2002. Already by that time he had become famous for his debut work - the play “Waiting for Godot”. An unusual reading of Beckett's work brought him two prestigious awards at once - the Golden Mask and the prize of the Christmas Parade festival. It is in the theater. Raikin saw the talented productions of the director of the Leningrad City Council, after which he decided to offer him cooperation.

Out of time and space - the basic principle of Butusov's "King Lear" in the "Satyricon" - the viewer will not be able to determine where and at what time the action takes place. ita traditional approach to staging a performance, but it is in this theater that it helps to create an original and complete picture of the action. The stage is completely empty: at first glance, it resembles a warehouse of scenery that has not been used for a long time, this is a symbol of the timeless space of a story that can happen anytime, anywhere.

A whole series of huge red doors, sheets of plywood, boards - all this should demonstrate to the viewer that the whole world is in real ruin, and the theater is a mirror of this era, which impartially demonstrates reality. The main task that Butusov sets himself is to constantly take his guests in the auditorium out of the "comfort zone", which is why the action takes place in various parts of the stage, and the characters appear on stage in the most unexpected way.

It is worth noting the madness of the protagonist, which is very clearly expressed in the "King Lear" of the "Satyricon". The director deliberately increases the degree of madness. At the same time, historical features are left aside, the heroes are approximately in the 20th century, this is evidenced by their clothes and appearance. Politics is also left aside here, although there are a large number of scenes in the performance, which, if desired, can be shifted to the existing reality.

Do the audience like the performance?

Since at least twice a month the theater troupe shows the performance “King Lear” in the “Satyricon” for the audience, the reviews about this performance are becoming more and moremore. The guests of the theater are mostly satisfied with the production, in their opinion, the main theses of the play are presented in such a way that they make them want to start taking care of their relatives and friends. Despite the need to constantly keep the audience in suspense, the actors do not abuse this, allowing their guests to draw their own conclusions during the performance.

Also, as the merits of the production, the audience singles out a well-coordinated ensemble of actors, where everyone is in their place and favorably sets off other colleagues. The musical accompaniment of the performance, created by its director, Yuri Butusov, deserves special attention, and allows forming a single integral picture of the action. A large number of bright scenographic techniques, used in the most unexpected way, allow the audience to experience a real emotional shock in the finale, which is the director's goal.

The cast also, according to the audience, deserves real awards. Earlier in the play “King Lear” of “Satyricon”, reviews quite often touched on the play of Maxim Averin, better known to the public for the role of Major Glukharev. In this theatrical production, he played the role of Edmond for several years, but due to the demand in the cinema, he was withdrawn from the play.

Despite the departure of Averin, a large number of talented actors are still involved in the play, which is also noted by the audience. A rare performance does without flowers, which are presented by grateful fans to the performers of the mainroles in King Lear. The first act seems a bit long to some of them, however, they perceive it as a kind of filter through which those who are obviously not ready to immerse themselves in the world of the performance will not pass.

Konstantin Raikin - perhaps it is this name that will come up first when mentioning the theater "Satyricon", "King Lear". In reviews of the performance, the audience is often amazed at the tricks performed by the man. The actor has been appearing on stage in the image of a monarch for more than 10 years and every time he surprises the guests of his theater - in several performances he even managed to stand on his head. Raikin's deep emotions, the scenes of contradictions brilliantly played by him, the energy of chaos - all this makes the audience constantly come to this production over and over again.

What needs improvement?

Nothing is perfect, and viewers sometimes find a number of negative points even in children's performances designed for a completely different psychology. The “King Lear” of the “Satyricon” is no exception to the rule: in the reviews, the audience often notes that the actors are too expressive and in some cases they clearly overact. It is quite possible that this is true, since a creative person, passionate about his work, sometimes really forgets about everything and devotes himself entirely to the process. However, whether this is considered a disadvantage, everyone decides for himself.

Also quite controversial for some viewers are the moments when the actors involved in the production use bright expressive means: kicks, spitting, sweeping the stage. Theater guests believe that the staging of such a grandiose workcould do with other, more cultural methods that would be understandable to the Russian mentality.

Some of the viewers who know the director's work and who have visited King Lear of the Satyricon note in their reviews the presence of a large number of clichés repeated in a number of productions. In their opinion, the “symbol for the sake of a symbol” technique is often used, when one or another technique does not fit into the general staging system, but rather falls out of it, having no cultural connections with its components. Women are especially negative about the way men are exposed on stage, they believe that this is unacceptable for the theater.

Some guests of the theater also have questions to the leading actor. They believe that Konstantin Raikin plays the role of the king in such a way that the latter seems like a notorious jester, and this does not go well with the tragic plot of the work. In this case, it is worth noting that we are still talking about the theater of satire, which is why the director conceived such an original and unusual production.

Some actors are not up to the level of their acting skills to play in the production of "King Lear" "Satyricon" - in the reviews, the audience notes that during the performances sometimes one feels falsity and insincerity. There are also comments on the costumes of the characters, which often resemble everyday clothes, found only in people with antisocial behavior. Fortunately, the theater management listens to these reviews and even changes some fragments of the performance in order to make the audience more comfortable, so there are more positive responses fromevery time.

Professional opinion

King Lear, the production of Satyricon, has received a very mixed reception from critics and is still being scrutinized to this day. Especially professional appraisers of theatrical creativity are confused by excessive expressiveness and a huge emotional palette used by actors. In their opinion, the vast majority of the troupe members involved in this performance are overacting, which is not good for the performance.

Some critics who have seen several versions of the aforementioned performance express the idea that what they saw in the "Satyricon" was somehow repeated in Butusov's previous productions. Copying their own creativity, in their opinion, cannot be considered as creative growth. Similarly, the character of Konstantin Raikin is considered, critics do not see the original incarnation of Lear in the play, he seems to be woven from hundreds of different kings played earlier.

There are also defenders of the performance who know perfectly well what the theater "Satyricon" is. They see King Lear as a production that has nothing to do with Shakespeare's classic. A game without rules, without a definite finish and a path to it - all these are the hallmarks of Butusov's work, who perceives his production as an unusual game. The protagonist appears to fans of the play as an inexplicable personality, combining the features of a child, a tyrant and an old man. Lear does not understand what is happening around, and at some point begins to naturallygo crazy, discovering the vices of the people around him.

Insight comes at the most critical moments for each character in the play. Each of the sisters goes crazy in her own way, passionately and emotionally, the actresses, according to critics, give all their best, wanting to convey to their viewers the idea of the need for respect and reverence in the family. Lear's insight, which comes to him through tears and laughter, is combined with pain and horror, expressed in a bright finale, where the king unsuccessfully tries to seat his dead heirs at the piano, and they constantly fall. The old man's desire to return to the past, where the children were happy and loved each other, is understandable, but, alas, untimely.

Why is it worth going to the production of "Satyricon"?

The original reading of the British classic and the use of techniques to "embed" the narrative in any timeline are one of the main reasons to visit "King Lear" in the "Satyricon". The duration of the performance is 3 hours, so you should mentally prepare in advance. The production has only one 15-minute intermission, during which you can admire the exhibition of photographs of theater actors and visit the local buffet.

Despite the fact that the performance is based on a classic literary work, it has an age limit - children under 12 years old are not recommended to attend it. There are many reasons for this - including the demonstration by the main character of his underwear. If you are going to see King Lear at the Satyricon, photos of the performance and videoit is forbidden to do it, as well as at any other similar event - this is worth remembering. If this prohibition is not observed, violators may be subject to an administrative fine, and in case of distribution of pirated video recordings, the theater, as the owner of the copyright for the performance, has the right to file a lawsuit.

The remarks of cultural experts and art lovers are always taken into account when preparing for the screening of King Lear in the Satyricon: the duration of the performance in the theater indicates that it has been in demand for 12 years now. If you want to get real aesthetic pleasure from going to the theater, it is best to get acquainted with Shakespeare's book in advance, as well as with literary works that were written by leading researchers of this writer's work. A special experience is guaranteed for those who can read the tragedy in the original.

How to buy tickets?

If you want to see a performance of King Lear at the Satyricon, tickets should be purchased months in advance as they sell out very quickly. The cost of an entrance counter mark ranges from 1 to 6 thousand rubles, it will directly depend on the chosen place. The most expensive place will cost, located almost in front of the stage - in sector A, the minimum price here is 2 thousand rubles (row 11), the maximum - 6 (from rows 1 to 5). The most profitable tickets can be bought in the left or right box, they cost from 1 to 1.5 thousand rubles, but there is a significant drawback here - part of the stage will not be visible, which will not allow you to fully enjoyperformance.

Since tickets are sold out in advance, it is best to decide on the date of the trip to the "King Lear" in the "Satyricon" in a couple of months, it is better to choose places in the central part of the hall to see absolutely all the action. However, here everything will depend on the availability of free finances, so the decision is yours. Tickets can be purchased at the box office of the theater itself, as well as at numerous universal points of sale, where counterfeits are sold for absolutely all performances in Moscow and the region.

How to get to the theater?

Before going to a cultural institution, be sure to specify on which stage King Lear will be shown: the Satyricon has several venues, the main one - on Sheremetyevskaya, 8 - is currently under reconstruction. The exact timing of the completion of the repair is unknown, so the performances are now being shown at other venues. Two of them are located next to the theater - along Sheremetyevskaya street, in houses 2 and 6/2. The easiest way to get there is by metro, you will need to get off at the Maryina Roshcha station.

It is quite possible that other venues will also stage the production of "King Lear" "Satyricon", the addresses of these creative spaces are Arbat, 24 and 26. Despite the fact that these buildings house two stages of the Theater. Vakhtangov, actors and spectators loyally share them with their guests from the theater of satire. Since the Arbat is closed to public transport, the easiest way is to get to the nearest metro stations - Smolenskaya or Arbatskaya, and then walk a littlewalking along one of the oldest streets in Moscow.