Review of the play “Fellini. 8 1/2” at the Theatre. E. Vakhtangov

At the theatre. E. Vakhtangov, the premiere of the play “Fellini. 8½”. It is based on the script of the greatest film in the history of world cinema “Eight and a half” (1963) by Federico Fellini. Director Leila Abu-al-Kishek has long wanted to get in touch with the master in her work, and now, now, she enjoyed it.” A performance is not a literal translation of a film script on stage. It is in no way an attempt to play the film and Marcello Mastroianni. The stage version is close to the true story of Fellini himself,” she says. A scene from the play “Fellini. 8 1/2”. February 2023.Photo source: vakhtangov.ru.And the story is simple, at least at first glance. Director Guido Anselmi wants to make a film after successful previous ones. A large budget has been allocated for it, large-scale sets have been built, castings are actively held, but the whole picture is not assembled. Inspiration is an insidious thing – it comes and goes, the creative process stalls, the director is pressured either by the producers or the actors, but he can’t do anything. Just try, trying to come up with something new, to combine disparate ideas and fragments of memories, fantasies and thoughts about the meaning of life and creativity. In fact, we see how an existential crisis plays out on stage, interspersed with monologues and dialogues. Action as such is not much – meetings, conversations – and it is not necessary. The focus is on the inner world of a person, the inner world of the artist and questions, questions, questions…Show “Fellini. 8 ½” will interest all those who feel like artists at heart. As you know, everyone has a divine spark, the main thing is to ignite it. It doesn’t matter if your field is far from cinematography or painting, you can create something new everywhere. But to see how the puzzle doesn’t add up and how the creator tries to cope with the difficulties, it can be very useful. And Federico Fellini did everyone a big favor 60 years ago by filming “8 ½” and showing on screen what it’s like with great artists and how hard it is to get back to work when you has already tasted success. A scene from the play “Fellini. 8 1/2”. February 2023.Photo source: vakhtangov.ru.Abu al-Kishek, in an interview with reporters, noted that she was particularly drawn to this story because of its voluminous nature. Indeed, Guido Anselmi experiences several important encounters throughout the story, highlighting his inner conflict from different angles. A mistress, a wife, an ephemeral passion in the person of a young actress, producers, a cardinal, a screenwriter, journalists, etc. All of them create a kind of parade of planets around the center where the main character is. In the performance, he is played by Vladimir Vdovichenkov. Cheek broad, ample, charming. Something, but he has no charisma. In my opinion, a little roughness and bruising were not enough to match the restless temper even more. And so, Vladimir looked impressive on stage, the plasticity is beautiful, his enveloping voice. And the smile at the end of the performance, in general, is the crown of creation.Anna Dubrovskaya as Guido’s wife is also quite charming – with her heroine’s grace, grace and inflexibility. Someone who, and his Louise, will give chances to anyone around her husband. She has walked with him through fire, water and copper pipes, and deep in her soul she knows he will not walk away from her no matter where her creative quest takes her. A scene from the play “Fellini. 8 1/2”. February 2023.Photo source: vakhtangov.ru.Separately, I would like to talk about the style of the performance. It’s pretty concise. A minimum of decorations, almost no external effects. Sometimes the music of Nino Rota “slips” and the harmonica of Anselmi’s alter ego resounds. The most interesting thing is to watch what happens on stage. Everything, again, aims to portray the protagonist’s conflict in a bulky and textured way, in contrast to the minimalist environment, to show the richness of his inner world. The show “Felinni.8 ½” will be presented on the Nouvelle Scène du Théâtre. E. Vakhtangov in the coming months. Tickets are currently only available for the month of April. Therefore, you should hurry. Age limit +16.