A bar in Russia. A gang of card-sharpers are whiling away the time gambling. In the last few months, one of their number, Ikharev, has perfected a new trick which allows the gambler unerringly to guess the identity of each card. Its first appearance is awaited not only with excitement, but also with secret maliciousness. The reason? Ikharev will end up not as the deceiver but the deceived, as the others have played a practical joke on him. The ruse is so clever that even Ikharev himself cannot totally hide his admiration when the tables are turned. Gogol's rarely-seen play is a comedy based on the theme of deception. But it is much more than just that. This is a mid-nineteenth century classic and an exquisite example of Russian literary drama. In turns boorish, grotesque, subtle and absurd, Oleg Menshikov's refined, clever production for his Theatrical Company 814 is also riveting in its naturalism. So join in the game, with its sharp and intricate jokes, and take part in an evening of dance, song, word games and, above all, exciting live theatre.
Oleg Menshikov is famous beyond Russia for a body of work which includes his performance opposite Catherine Deneuve in the Oscar-nominated "East-West" and his lead role in the Russian film "The Deceiving Sun" ("Burnt by the Sun" - note menshikov.ru), which won him an award at the Cannes Film Festival. In Russia itself he is a star. The actor has a large community of fans who worship at his feet, and he continues to be garlanded with flowers and ovations whenever he takes to the stage. This makes his continuing commitment to modern youth theatre all the more creditable. His fame clearly helped his company, which he formed in 1995, to overcome any teething troubles, but he also supports the group, which he calls his "theatrical community", by directing and starring in its productions. The performance at the Kunstfest will mark Teatralnoe Tovarischestvo 814's German premiere.