Vladimir Lvovich Mashkov was born on November 27, 1963 in Tula. In the early 1980s, he entered the Faculty of Natural Sciences (Department of Biology) of Novosibirsk University, but a year later, having changed his mind, he began his studies at the Novosibirsk Theater School, from where he was expelled in 1984 for fighting. A little later, he came to the Moscow Art Theater School for the course of Mikhail Tarkhanov, but he graduated - for a number of reasons - from this educational institution with the course of Oleg Tabakov in 1990.

Mashkov has been playing at the Oleg Tabakov Theater since its official opening in March 1987. Among a dozen roles played by the actor in "Snuffbox" in 1987-1999, Abram Schwartz, the Jewish father from Alexander Galich's play "Sailor's Silence", stands out in particular. His actor played while still a student at the Studio School, and in 1990 an amazing and unforgettable image of the elder Schwartz appeared on the stage of the "basement" theater.

At the same time, Mashkov played the Governor in Sergei Gazarov's play The Inspector General. The performance did not last long, but thanks to the many excellent acting and directing work, the theater-goers remembered it.

In May 1991, Mashkov entered the role of Sergeant Toomey in the legendary, as it is now called, the play Biloxi Blues.

In 1992, having received permission from Tabakov for independent rehearsals, Mashkov began work on his first performance as a director - "Hour of Finest Local Time" with Yevgeny Mironov in leading role. Tabakov liked the result of "extracurricular" activities so much that the performance was accepted into the repertoire and ran with unfailing success for eight years.

In the wake of this success, Mashkov took Mironov in his next production, The Passion for Bumbarash. musical performance By early works Gaidar with poems by Yuli Kim and music by Vladimir Dashkevich was not to the taste of critics, but became a real theatrical hit. It ran for 18 years and was played 233 times.

No less popular was the third production of the actor - "Death Number" based on the play by Oleg Antonov, in which the roles of clowns were played by Andrei Smolyakov, Sergei Belyaev, Vitaly Egorov and Andrei Panin, as well as Sergei Ugryumov.

In 2000, Vladimir presented the performance on stage Art Theater- shortly after Oleg Tabakov became its head. "No. 13" is considered one of the most commercially successful performances of the new time. Interest in him does not dry out after 18 years, even after the director made adjustments and changed the composition of the performers, leaving only Sergei Belyaev and Leonid Timtsunik in their places.

Vladimir Mashkov is, without exaggeration, one of the brightest stars of Russian cinema. Among other things (and few of our actors can boast of this), he starred in Hollywood. Of the many movie heroes of Mashkov, the audience is especially fond of David Markovich Gotsman from Sergei Ursulyak's TV series "Liquidation". Among the most popular films of recent times with the participation of the actor are such films as "Upward Movement", "Crew", "Duelist".

As a director, Mashkov made two films: The Kazan Orphan, in which he took his teacher, Oleg Tabakov, and Papa, based on Galich's Matrosskaya Silence.

In 2010, Vladimir Mashkov was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of Russia. Among other things, he is a laureate of the prestigious Nika, Golden Eagle, and TEFI awards.

Vladimir Mashkov, artistic director of the Oleg Tabakov Theater

The artistic director of the Oleg Tabakov Theater talks about the new version of the legendary performance "Matrosskaya Silence", the role that has become part of his life, the Stanislavsky system and the qualities of a professional.

The first premiere of the new season of the Oleg Tabakov Theater was "Sailor Silence" based on the play by Alexander Galich about violinist David Schwartz, who came from a Jewish town, his life, love, relationship with his father and death at the front. The drama, written in 1956, has been prohibited. Only in the late 1980s, Oleg Tabakov managed to stage it at the Moscow Art Theater School, and then, in 1990, in the theater basement on Chaplygin Street.

The performance, which eventually became a legend, revealed to the viewer not only the forbidden play, but also the name Vladimir Mashkov. The young actor played the father of the main character Abram Schwartz. Today, Mashkov, who headed the Oleg Tabakov Theater after the death of his teacher, is returning to this performance again - not only as an actor, but also as director. He spoke about his version of "Matrosskaya Silence", the life of the theater without Oleg Tabakov and the most important task that is born in the auditorium, he spoke in an interview with the site.

- Return to the "Matrosskaya Tishina" today - a fundamental moment?

- This performance is the thoughts and feelings of Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov, which were carried through half of his life, starting from that performance in Sovremennik. It was his dream, he loved this performance very much. We have worked very hard and for a long time. And now, when it happened that I needed to take over the leadership of the theater and continue the work of a teacher, I wanted to return this performance in the form in which the master intended it.

There are two directors-producers of "Matrosskaya Silence" - me and Alexander Marin. Being on stage and directing at the same time is very difficult. You see, this is a team effort. The performance features both great actors, and young, and very young ones - we have the widest section of artists represented here - from teenagers to very adult people. The work is very tight, everyone works selflessly, and I am incredibly happy about this.

In 1958, the Studio of Young Actors, which had just been formed by graduates of the Moscow Art Theater School and teacher Oleg Efremov, which would become Sovremennik in the future, staged Matrosskaya Silence on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater. Efremov was in charge of directing, Igor Kvasha played David Schwartz, Evgeny Evstigneev played his father Abram. The run-through, which was attended by several hundred spectators, was a huge success, but the premiere did not take place. The production, touching on the acute Jewish question, did not pass the artistic council. Young actors, and first of all Oleg Tabakov, asked Galich to influence the decision of the commission, but nothing came of it.

- Did you set yourself the task of restoring the legendary production of 1990 or doing something new?

Nothing can be recovered. One can only assimilate the most important task - one for all. I remember the super-task that Tabakov set and which eventually disappeared. This play is not about death, but about life. Do you understand the difference? On stage, people who do not worry about their lives, people with a dream. The spectacle is a story about rearing times: 1929 - industrialization, when everyone was in a different world, big tasks were set, and many were swept away by these tasks; 1937, when everyone was at gunpoint; and 1944, when part of the country was destroyed. And yet life went on. Always. People continued to live, love and go to the goal. To make a performance about this, about this life - such is the most important task. How this will be done is another question. It is impossible to repeat Oleg Pavlovich's performance. Our theater is alive.

- What are your thoughts on the role of Abram Schwartz today?

This role is part of my life. He is one of those settlers who live in me and change along with my experience. I have come now to the age of Abram. I was 24 years old when we started rehearsals. "Matrosskaya Silence" began as a performance of the Moscow Art Theater School-Studio long before Oleg Pavlovich transferred it to the stage of the theater. I was a third year student and it was extreme. The role required colossal life experience, and I did not have this experience.

Tabakov himself could play the role of Abram, and he would have done it brilliantly. But he saw Abram in a student and was pleased with how it turned out. Abram is a role for the fearless, as Oleg Pavlovich said. This is an image that allows the artist to get into the unknown, the most paradoxical, sometimes mutually exclusive internal conflicts and the brightest colors.

- How did you compensate for the lack of life experience necessary for the age role? Did you think of any particular person while thinking about Abram?

— Back in the 1980s, when we started working on the play, I started going to the synagogue and watching the people praying. I went to the markets, looked out for men of Abram's age, somehow transformed what I saw for myself. Oleg Pavlovich helped to find the external drawing of the role. Put on, he says, boots of size forty-five or forty-seven (and my feet are not very big), heavy clothes. And this uncomfortable suit immediately, as it were, broke my spine, buckled my legs.

But, in addition to the external drawing, the internal content was also needed. And here is the paradox. You know, I lost my parents early. My father was not a Jewish dad, he was Russian. He was strong, big, handsome, bright - in a word, not at all like Abram. But his love for me - naive, unconditional - was absolutely the same as that of Abram Ilyich Schwartz. Father's love, the desire to be proud of his son - all this was just there for me.

Vladimir Mashkov grew up in a theatrical family. His father, Lev Mashkov, was an actor at the Novokuznetsk Puppet Theater, and his mother, Natalya Nikiforova, worked there as the chief director in the 1970s. Natalya Nikiforova passed away in 1986, the cause of death was a heart attack. Lev Mashkov survived his wife only a few months. Vladimir Mashkov was then 23 years old.

- This text by Alexander Galich generally plays a big role in your creative life. In the early 2000s, you filmed "Matrosskaya Silence", acting in the film "Papa" as both a director and a performer of the same role. Why did it happen?

— No, I would not call Matrosskaya Silence a text. It's too fancy a word. Some texts are being written now , and then ... Alexander Arkadyevich wrote it at a time when it was impossible to talk about it. It was a search for a special language that could reach the most insensitive people. Therefore, this is not a text, but a spell. Spell: love, be careful, do not miss life, live here and now, take care of your family, people who love you for nothing and for everything, just for what you are, cherish them. It's close to me.










- In the fall, you announced your decision not to recruit students to Oleg Tabakov's Moscow Theater School this year for obvious reasons. Is there any news today for those who planned to enroll this year?

- We stopped the recruitment, because it was necessary to reform the entire structure of the theater - to introduce a new repertoire, to set big ambitious tasks. In general, the school works, and works quite actively. In September, we got an orchestra of drummers named after Evgeny Evstigneev, for which Pavel Bryun came up with the excellent name "Drumtheater". We have released four graduation performances, now Biloxi Blues is being prepared, the director is our wonderful actor and teacher Mikhail Khomyakov. The school is on the move - as Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky bequeathed, the guys immediately go on stage. More than 30 students were introduced to the performances of the Oleg Tabakov Theater. Recently, for example, there was an introduction to Alla Sigalova's "Katerina Ilvovna" - in the first act, the guys show themselves brilliantly.

And this year there will be a new set, already in February we start watching ninth-graders almost all over the country. Our big tour will start in Tula, then we will visit Kemerovo, Vladivostok, Sevastopol, Kaliningrad and go to the homeland of Oleg Pavlovich, to Saratov.

- How can you characterize today's life of the Oleg Tabakov Theater, his school?

The theater is our home, which we love very much. Oleg Pavlovich liked to repeat one phrase: "The thing must be done, gentlemen." And we try to live by this principle. In a difficult situation in which the theater found itself, the city helped us a lot. The improvement of Chaplygina Street, where our theater is located, neighboring Makarenko Street, where the school is located and which leads to Chistye Prudy and Sovremennik, as well as Bolshoi Kharitonievsky Lane, is the first step towards the emergence of a theater district in the city.

Our basement (stage at Chistye Prudy. — Note.mos. en) we increased by 70 cubic meters, its reconstruction is still ongoing. A beautiful theater courtyard appeared on Chaplygin Street. As for the stage on Sukharevskaya, a mirror foyer has recently appeared here and the auditorium has changed ... I think Oleg Pavlovich would be pleased with the dynamics.

- The mirror foyer - was it your idea or Oleg Pavlovich's?

— It was my idea, but all the ideas that we have come from our experience, our knowledge. The viewer goes to the theater for the joy of recognition, meeting with himself - both Oleg Pavlovich and Stanislavsky spoke about this. I relied on this idea. Man needs a mirror.

The floors of our foyer (“Attention”, “Imagination”, “Feeling”) and the hall of “Assessments and Actions” – this is the Stanislavsky system. Therefore, it seems to me that our philosophy is clear. I can decipher it, of course, but it seems to me that it is more interesting for the viewer to get to some things on his own. In most cases, the most important task is born in the auditorium.




- You have repeatedly emphasized that the former Tabakerka is a theater without traditions. Why is this important to you?

- This is the phrase of Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky: there can be no tradition in a live theater. A very important detail. The living have no traditions. You can't say how many apples should traditionally be on a tree. Nine? One hundred? Or maybe none?

What is tradition in theater? Well, let's say we decided that we would speak the words very loudly and clearly in our theater. Or do something like that with your hands all the time. No, It is Immpossible. Theater is a living thing, it's not a movie where I can say: "Stop, another take." Each time, artists must find live communication with a partner. Each performance is a discovery. Make the discovery a tradition? This is absurd. We have one tradition - live theater. And live theater is possible only without tradition.

- In the Oleg Tabakov Theater you combine the functions artistic director and director. Is it difficult? Do you get into arguments with yourself?

No, I don't argue with myself. And I don't argue at all. Over the years, I have developed a quality that I develop in myself. If some offer comes in or some event happens, I don't accept it or reject it. I look into this carefully. I do not grab a template, a stamp - no, this is not necessary! I'm trying to understand and consider someone else's point of view.

Our theater is a professional theater. Our scene does not tolerate an amateur, she will crush him. We have identified the qualities of a professional, I will list the most important ones. Mindfulness, responsibility, efficiency, purposefulness, learning ability, enterprise, stress resistance, self-control, caution, curiosity, sociability, awareness, desire to cooperate. Any professional and any professional team should test themselves for the presence of these qualities. When they are, the job is done.

People's Artist of Russia Vladimir Mashkov is one of the most popular actors in Russian cinema. "A truly great master who continues the best traditions of the Russian acting school. His work is distinguished by authenticity, subtle psychological characterization and selfless dedication. Mashkov is a professional of the highest class." This characterization of Mashkov was given by the director

Biography

Vladimir Mashkov inherited his stormy temperament and bright appearance from an Italian grandmother who came to Russia to teach. Here she married and gave birth to a daughter, Natalya, Vladimir's future mother. Natalya Ivanovna in her first marriage gave birth to a son, Vitaly. Vladimir was born when his mother was married to the charming and energetic actor Lev Petrovich Mashkov.

In the mid-1960s, the Mashkov family moved to Novokuznetsk. Parents settled in Novokuznetsk puppet show: father is an actor, mother is a director. Most of Volodya's childhood passed behind the scenes of the theater. Volodya has always been the soul of the company, he played the guitar perfectly, was fond of Paul McCartney, Suzi Quatro. But at school, "Vovka studied disgustingly!" - says his half-brother. - He changed schools because of "unsuccessful" behavior: then long hair will grow, then something else.

Nevertheless, after graduating from school, when the Mashkovs moved to Novosibirsk in the late 1970s, Vladimir applied to the biological faculty of the university. After studying at the university for a year, he left it and entered the Novosibirsk Theater School. Then there was the Moscow Art Theater School, where it was also unlucky at first - Mashkov was expelled for a fight and continued his theater universities as a decorator at the Moscow Art Theater. Having missed a year, Mashkov graduated from the Studio School on the course of Tabakov. The meeting with became decisive in the fate of Vladimir.

Theater

In 1990, Vladimir Mashkov was accepted into the troupe of the Theater under the direction of Oleg Tabakov. His first big role was Abram Schwartz in the play "Sailor's Silence" based on the play by Galich. After this work, the head of the Moscow Art Theater, Oleg Tabakov, said that an Actor was born. Among other roles of Vladimir Mashkov: Mayor in the play "Inspector General", Don Juan - "The Myth of Don Juan", Platonov - "Mechanical Piano", Ivanovich and Ugarov - "Anecdotes".

In 1992, Mashkov became interested in directing. As a director, he staged performances at the Tabakov Theater "Hour of Finest Local Time" and "Passion for Bumbarash" (a play by Yuli Kim), and two years later - "Death Number" (Oleg Antonov). And in 1996, he staged the play "The Threepenny Opera" on the stage of the Satyricon Theater.

"The theater is my life, and now I enjoy rehearsing with my colleagues, friends. And nothing could be more beautiful than this," Mashkov told RIA Novosti.

Movie

In the cinema, Vladimir Mashkov made his debut in 1989 - in the film "Green Fire of the Goat". In total, Mashkov starred in about fifty paintings. The finest hour for the actor came in 1994, when he played roles in the films "Limit" by Denis Evstigneev and Then there were paintings and "The Thief", which received an Oscar nomination. In 2000, he played the role of Emelyan Pugachev in the historical film

"Russia 1"

Yevgeny Mironov is Mashkov's most important partner in Russia. Both - students of Tabakov, left the "Snuffbox". Their duets in the films "Idiot", "Piranha Hunt" and in the TV series "Ashes" always arouse the special interest of viewers and professionals. According to Mironov, Mashkov can always help, suggest in which direction to move.

In March 2015, viewers saw the series, filmed in the genre of a psychological thriller. The film tells about the tragedy of officer Alexei Bragin, who was released from many years of imprisonment. The officer is hiding something: perhaps he was recruited by the enemy. The film received very high ratings. The role of Bragin was brilliantly played by Vladimir Mashkov. "I was impressed by this man. This settler. I still can't fully figure it out until now. He changes so often that I can't keep up with him," Mashkov said in the Vesti program plot, dedicated to the release of the series.

In 2016, the premiere of a new one took place - a remake of one of the most popular Russian films. The main roles went to Vladimir Mashkov. The producer of the picture, Leonid Vereshchagin, did not hide the fact that the involvement of the most popular actors in the work would have a positive effect on the box office. When editing the picture, all kinds of special effects, high-quality graphics, 3D format were used.

The action drama was released on December 28, 2017. In this film, the inimitable Vladimir Mashkov starred as the coach of the Soviet basketball team, which beat the "invincible" US team at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The players of the team were played by young talented actors - Kirill Zaitsev, Alexander Ryapolov.

Hollywood

Mashkov was one of the first Russian actors to start acting in Hollywood, and with great success. His partners were such stars as Robert De Niro, Nastassja Kinski, Tom Cruise, Gerard Depardieu. Fanny Ardant, who starred in Rasputin, said that it was a great pleasure for her to play in Russia, especially in St. Petersburg, which was introduced to her by "the wonderful actor Mashkov."

Psychic abilities

Actor Vladimir Mashkov has psychic abilities, he predicts the future and heals with touch. During the filming of the series "Rasputin", his colleagues turned to the artist with complaints of a headache, he helped them get rid of the disease. This proves that Mashkov has powerful energy.

Love to the animals

Since childhood, Vladimir adored animals. Cats and dogs, birds and hamsters, rats and squirrels, and rabbits and turtles constantly lived in his house.

True, it is rather difficult to combine the acting profession with love for pets: for the duration of long-term filming, they have to be attached to friends or acquaintances. There are surprises. For example, an Australian cockatoo named Jack, who lived with the actor for several years, visited the Durov Animal Theater and met his love there - a big parrot with a beautiful pink tuft. Vladimir Lvovich decided to respect Jack's feelings and did not take the parrot home.

Personal life

In the first year of the theater school, Mashkov fell in love with classmate Elena Shevchenko. A stormy romance began and in 1983 the young people signed. But the relationship quickly began to deteriorate. They were both temperamental, artistic natures. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, the couple divorced.

After a divorce from Shevchenko, Mashkov married the Moscow Art Theater actress Alena Khovanskaya. The marriage broke up after two years. Then the actor married fashion designer Ksenia Terentyeva. And this marriage did not last.

In 2005, 42-year-old Mashkov married for the fourth time. His chosen one was an American actress of Ukrainian origin Oksana Shelest. Their relationship seemed perfect. Even Oksana's son began to treat Vladimir as his own father. But in 2008, Mashkov became single again.

Then there were rumors that Mashkov decided to get back together with his ex-wife Ksenia Terentyeva. However, the actor himself denied such information. According to him, he is no stranger to the fiction of journalists on the topic of his personal life. By the way, the actor himself claims that he was married only twice - to Shevchenko and Terentyeva. And the rest were only common-law wives. In general, Mashkov carefully protects his personal life from prying eyes.

Prizes and awards

  • In 1994, Mashkov received three prizes at once for the best male role in the film Limit.
  • 1997 - "The Seagull" award for staging the play "The Threepenny Opera".
  • 1997 - "The Seagull" award for the play "Anecdotes"
  • 1997 - Golden Aries Award in the nomination "Best Actor" in the film "The Thief"
  • 1998 - Nika Award for Best Actor in the film "The Thief"
  • 1998 - Film Festival "Baltic Pearl" - prize for a fast-paced career
  • 2001 - Moscow International Film Festival - Silver George Award for Best Actor in the film "Let's Do It Quickly"
  • 2004 - Film Festival "Window to Europe" - a prize for the best male role in the film "Papa"
  • 2004 - "Person of the Year" award of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia
  • 2008 - Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor on Television in the series "Liquidation"
  • 2008 - TEFI Award for Best Actor in "Liquidation"
  • 2008 - Prize of the Oleg Tabakov Charitable Foundation for the role of David Gotsman in the television series "Liquidation"
  • 2008 - FSB Award in the "Acting Work" nomination for the role of Lieutenant Colonel David Gotsman in the feature film "Liquidation".
  • 2010 - Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor in the film "The Edge"
  • 2010 - People's Artist of the Russian Federation - for great services in the field of art
  • 2015 - Professional award of the Association of Film and Television Producers in the field of television cinema in the category "Best Actor in a TV Movie / Series" for the role of Rasputin in the TV series "Grigory R."
  • 2019 - Golden Eagle Award for his role in the film "Moving Up"

Based on materials from sites: KinoPoisk, Vesti.ru, Russia1, StarAndStar.ru, RIA Novosti.

Filmography: Actor

  • Odessa steamer (2020)
  • Hero (2019)
  • Billion (2019)
  • Copper Sun (2018), TV series
  • Plaque (2017), TV series
  • Moving Up (2017)
  • Crew (2016)
  • Duelist (2016)
  • About love (2015)
  • Motherland (2014), TV series
  • Grigory R. (2014), TV series
  • Rasputin (2013)
  • Ashes (2013), TV series
  • Love for love (2013), TV series
  • Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)
  • Kandahar (2010)
  • Edge (2010)
  • Brownie (2008)
  • Liquidation (2007)
  • Piranha hunting (2006)
  • Peter FM (2006)
  • State Councilor (2005)
  • Dad (2004)
  • Idiot (2003)
  • Red America (2003)
  • Oligarch (2002)
  • American Rhapsody (2001)
  • Let's Do It Quickly (2001)
  • Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
  • 15 minutes of fame (2001)
  • Russian riot (2000)
  • Dancing in the Blue Iguana (2000)
  • Mom (1999)
  • Two Moons Three Suns (1998)
  • Composition for Victory Day (1998)
  • Orphan of Kazan (1997)
  • Thief (1997)
  • Twenty Minutes with an Angel (1996)
  • American Daughter (1995)
  • Limita (1994)
  • Moscow Evenings (1994)
  • I am Ivan, you are Abram (1993)
  • Alaska, sir! (1992)
  • Casus Improvisus (1991)
  • Love on Death Island (1991)
  • Ha-Bi-Assy (1990)
  • Do it! (1990)
  • Beast jubilant (1989)
  • Green Fire Goat (1989)

After the high-profile scandal with Dostoevsky at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater, the turn of resounding success finally came - the most obvious and absolutely absolute. Vladimir Mashkov, returning from distant wanderings, presented a new version of the legendary performance "No. 13" called "No. 13D". Kamergersky Lane shuddered with Homeric laughter. And tickets from the box office for a new production of Mashkov disappeared even before the premiere for the next ten years, it seems: in Moscow, rich in nightly theatrical premieres, there are not so many theatrical events that give the feeling of a real holiday and, like a potent dope, uplifting and vital tone up to overwhelming heights.

This has already been verified by time: for ten years, Vladimir Mashkov's "No. 13" played at the Moscow Art Theater, all ten years holding the bar for the funniest and highest-grossing Moscow performance, by invitation to which they "paid" and thanked for the most outstanding and fateful deeds. A gift ticket for "No. 13" was, if compared on the scale of Soviet values, like a premium trip abroad, and in the context of recent decisions, like a bribe on an especially large scale. Without hyperbole, because the most difficult thing is to stage a comedy so that it actually turns out to be funny. And it is practically impossible to enter the same theatrical river twice. Fact: Vladimir Mashkov succeeded in both. And after a two-year break, "No. 13D" shone on the Moscow Art Theater posters with a new cast of performers.

Yevgeny Mironov, Avant-garde Leontiev and Igor Zolotovitsky, whose brilliant roles in the old performance were brought to laughable tantrums in the auditorium, were replaced by Sergey Ugryumov, Igor Vernik and Stanislav Duzhnikov. There were objective reasons for such a "castling": Yevgeny Mironov dropped out after a leg injury, and in "No. 13" the actors are required almost Olympic physical training, and he never returned back - apparently, the leadership of the Theater of Nations accumulated all the time. Igor Zolotovitsky became the artistic director of the House of Actors and the rector of the Moscow Art Theater School. Sergei Ugryumov, one might say, also went "for a promotion", but within the framework of the performance - playing in the new version of the secretary of the assistant to the prime minister, and his role as a waiter from the old "No. 13" was transferred to Andrei Burkovsky (his last name is also worth remembering - very soon he will make people talk about himself as one of the most organic young comedy actors of the Moscow Art Theater). So the Latin D that appeared in the title means, at least, a "different" performance, and, at the most, a cascade of new emotional and even tactile sensations. The dramaturgy of Ray Cooney, opened to us - and let's not forget this - by Vladimir Mashkov, has not undergone major changes, except for the introduction of additional roles of maids - "Chinese women" - almost wordless, but sonically and intonation so convincing that not a single news the television story about the premiere did not come out without their participation. The plot of the situation comedy remained, of course, the same: a certain Richard Wyllie, assistant to the Prime Minister, instead of debating in the House of Commons, decided to retire with his secretary in the 13th room of a five-star hotel, but there were some surprises. To indulge in passion, for starters, they were prevented by the "insensible body of a middle-aged male" found in the room. And now about the main thing. Both in the old and in the new performance, the lion's share of success belonged to the actor and plastic director Leonid Timtsunik, who portrays this most insensible body as if there was not a single bone in the actor's body, and the laws of gravity do not apply to him. His mimic and plastic solo (was and is) is so fantastic and inexplicable from the point of view of the limits of the possible human physiology that the comparisons with Marcel Marceau, which Leonid Timtsunik had to listen to after the premiere from fellow actors in a huge number, sounded more like a compliment to Marcel Marceau. Still, he did not know how, like Leonid Timtsunik, to walk along the wall, leaning on the back of the sofa with one index finger, and completely forget about the existence of the spine in nature. And no computer and cinematic "D" effects for you - only miracles of live actor's reincarnation.

Literally

The original title of Ray Cooney's play, staged at the Moscow Art Theater under the titles "No. 13" and "No. 13D" - "Out of order" ("Mess"). It was once named the best English comedy of the year and won the Laurence Olivier Award.

The directorial work of Vladimir Mashkov has always been in theaters with constant full houses. His name on the poster is a sign of the highest quality of the performance. Among them were "Passion for Bumbarash" and "Death Number" on the stage of Oleg Tabakov's Studio Theatre, "The Threepenny Opera" in "Satyricon". He put Ray Cooney in Russia first. Under the motto: "make an improvisational, jazz performance out of a sitcom, where each of the ten artists will have their own part, and offensive, aggressive directing will be combined with a bright acting game." What can I say - it turned out, and twice, and twice brilliantly.