CRIME AND PUNISHMENT MITEM 14

One of the most important and oldest theatres in Russia, Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, presents a monumental, overwhelming performance based on Dostoyevsky’s world-famous novel. With its multiple story lines and polyphonic sound, the play addresses the fundamental questions of existence, providing a contemporary interpretation of the great Russian writer’s novel, which focuses on the loss of faith and the possibility of redemption for the human soul. According to the director, Attila Vidnyánszky, the performance “enquires into the basic problems of European civilization, primarily the question of the freedom of conscience and faith. A large part of the world has become atheist, but that has not made anyone much happier. Dostoyevsky’s brilliant, prophetic novel is probably more topical today than ever before.”  The company, made up of leading actors of the established Russian theatre, has created a contemporary mystery-play in which the music, the spectacle, and the script create an expressive unity, thereby representing the completeness and diversity of the original work, but also rethinking the role of several key characters. The production was the opening act of the 10^th International Theatre Festival Alexandrinsky and one the most outstanding productions in the Russian theatrical world in 2016-2017.