An immersive show was organized based on the literary heritage of the Russian classic.
The project is being developed by Dashkov Mansion 5 together with Plus Studio.
The new interactive performance reveals some scenes from the novel that the author did not describe in detail. Details will be presented in the form of letters from Raskolnikov’s mother or Svidrigailov’s monologues, and fragments from other works will appear in the dialogues: “The Brothers Karamazov”, “The Idiot”, “Notes from Underground” and “The Writer’s Diary”.
The show actively uses body language, choreography, special effects and unique costumes.
The immersive drama is filled with plenty of musical and vocal numbers.
We attended a closed pre-release screening, spoke to the directors and cast members, and asked them some questions.
“RG”: During the performance, I had a unique experience: for the first time you can say that you didn’t understand something, not because you didn’t observe it carefully, but because you were in a different place. Is the concept intended to allow the audience to better follow an individual character in order to better understand their story, or is it designed to encourage the audience to revisit the play, like in role-playing games where you have to complete all the story paths to get all the content?
Ksenia Shundrina, art director: Immersive genre is when you can put on a performance yourself. At this point you become co-creators. In this genre, the viewer has a choice. Perhaps this is the most important distinguishing feature that cannot be found in any other genre.
Vladimir Mirzoev, production director: I think the most interesting thing about this genre is that time flows here in a completely anomalous way. Those three hours really don’t seem like three hours. It’s amazing when one evening each of the spectators sees their own unique performance. I love it. I dream of writing such a book, but I don’t know how to do it yet. How to do this in a book? And here it really happens. I think this is great.
“RG”: How important do you think it is for the perception of the performance to know the original source? When adapting the script, did we take into account that part of the public that missed Dostoevsky in the school curriculum?
Vladimir Mirzoev, director: Anyone who has not read Crime and Punishment for some reason will be interested in seeing our performance. I think that he will not be able to bear one thought, but a lot of thoughts. On the other hand, it is better not to tell what he saw to a child who has seen the play at school. Then maybe you can get a two.
“RG”: The image of Rodion Raskolnikov turned out to be very lively: there is a lot of madness in his look, which, thanks to the interactive format, creates a tangible discomfort – you feel terribly uncomfortable when such an anxious guy runs around the set with an axe under his coat. What and where, besides Dostoevsky, did you get inspiration from to create such a guy: Vaas Montenegro? Hannibal Lecter? Or maybe some real historical figures?
Evgeniy Koshelev (Rodion): Working with Vladimir Vladimirovich Mirzoev is a complete pleasure. We immerse ourselves not only in Dostoevsky’s texts, but also in a variety of them: there are excerpts from “The Idiot”, “Demons” and the diaries of Fyodor Mikhailovich. We also delve into our own dark side: our traumas, our fears, our hidden terrible desires. Of course, we go through the chronicles of famous murderers – from the 19th century to the present day. It turns out that the performance is a mixture of Dostoevsky, our personal experience and chronicles.
“RG”: Sonya Marmeladova is one of the most recognizable and famous characters not only in Crime and Punishment, but in all of Dostoevsky’s work. The image in the work turned out to be fresh and interesting. How did you manage to introduce new features into such a famous “portrait” so that it shines with other colors and shades? Perhaps there were some guidelines or examples on which it was “based,” in addition to, in fact, the original source?
Veronica Mokhireva (Sonya Marmeladova): The inspiration for the image of Sonya Marmeladova in the play was, oddly enough, the film “The Unfortunate Poor” with Emma Stone. This is a story about a man who explores the world through the physical. The ability to feel compassion and sympathize with others brings her closer to Sonya Marmeladova. Yes, we all know what Dostoevsky’s heroine does. Despite this, her soul remains pure. I was also inspired by spiritual literature, which helped me to delve a little deeper into the role.
