DEAD SOULS

Theatrical performance by Roman Kocherzhevsky based on the novel of the same name by Nikolai Gogol.

Saint Petersburg State Academic Lensoviet Theatre

Country: Russia

Premiere: 2019

Duration of the performance is 2 hours 40 minutes

Age restriction 16+

A play-investigation. A desire to brush the dust off a textbook Russian poem, with the help of the great text to answer the questions of the modern existence. In the director Roman Kocherzhevsky’s interpretation the main attention is drawn to the families of the landlords and to that how may the arrival of Chichikov change the further life of these families. And Chichikov here – is a figurative person, a seed, that is to grow in each house in its own way. That’s why Chichikov is different for everyone, in one way or another he emerges as a response to the problems and needs of the landlords.

“What is the reason in the dead souls? There is none whatsoever. This, turns out, is as simple as that: Androns are going, nonsense, balderdash, scrambled boots! This is simply damn it!...”

The performance creators:

Director and Author of the scenography idea – Roman Kocherzhevsky
Costume designer – Sergey Illarionov
Lighting designer – Gidal Shugaev 

The performance is presented by Yulia Smelkina

Cast of characters:

Pavel Chichikov – Fyodor Pshenichnyy
Manilov – Honorary artist of Russia Alexander Novikov
Elisaveta Manilova – Natalia Shamina
Nastasya Korobochka – People’s artist of Russia Anna Kovalchuk/Rimma Sarkisyan
Nozdrev, Pavel Chichikov – Sergey Peregudov
Mikhail Sobakevich, Pavel Chichikov – Vitaliy Kulikov
Feodulia Sobakevich – Laura Pitskhelauri
Stepan Plyushkin, the Governor – People’s artist of Russia Sergey Migitsko
the Governor’s daughter – Victoria Volkova/Rimma Sarkisyan/Lidia Shevchenko