Leonid Parfenov: Oleg Menshikov, the Russian actor with the most demonic reputation, prepares to play Demon. Lermontov’s poem, which is generally known by the first two lines – "His way above the sinful earth the melancholy Demon winged" – until now has been staged only as the opera by Rubinstein. Demon is a bass, and Shalyapin sang the part in his time. For the general public the appearance of Demon is the painting by Vrubel: swarthy, curly-haired body-builder that has nothing in common with Menshikov, who in turn looks rather like Lermontov. But all this will not prevent the obvious success of the performance with the public, as it always happens to the productions of Oleg Menshikov’s Theatrical Company 814. This time Menshikov himself is just a leading actor. “The Demon” is being staged by Kirill Serebrennikov, a very popular and sensational director. His productions “Plasticine”, “Some Explicit Polaroids”, “Terrorism” and the most recent “Sweet Bird of Youth” starring Marina Neyolova in the “Sovremennik” Theatre caused quite a stir. “The Demon” is to premiere in April. The “Namedni” crew was the first to be admitted to the office of TT814 in the attic in the center of Moscow.
Yulia Pankratova visited the table and choreographic rehearsal and spoke to Menshikov-Demon and Serebrennikov, who saw Demon in Menshikov.

Oleg Menshikov: I saw Kirill Serebrennikov’s productions and wanted to work with him. And he offered this title. I didn’t care much, what he would offer. We discussed the most serious variants, about which, as he says, every actor is dreaming. He came, and we recalled this, and that, and that. Then he came and said: “I know what you should play”. And named Lermontov. I didn’t quite understand how it was possible in general.
Kirill Serebrennikov: He was surprised, because he said: “But it’s a poem”.
OM: Yes.
KS: Well, I spent some time (not much, by the way) to outline the concept: why it can be performed on stage, why there should be three actors, four dancers and two singers, and how it all can be arranged.
OM: In fact I had a rather distant relations with this particular poem. I remembered little – just what everyone remembers: “His way above the sinful earth” – the first two lines.
KS: Anyone who heard this combination – Menshikov-Demon – said: “Exactly, exactly! Menshikov is Demon. Exactly! Demon is Menshikov. Exactly, exactly!” People don’t find anything odd in it.
OM: No. Well, the wings – what do we need them for? We are to express the flight without wings – you stand still, but the full impression is that you fly. In this case it is theatre. And if have wings, and be hung on a rope, and fly away in the end – well, what is this?
KS: It is the viewer who must fly. I always say: the actor on the stage shouldn’t sob desperately and experience terrible sufferings. Generally, it is the viewer’s privilege to sob, suffer, etc.
OM: It just seems so.
No, the most important is to perform an idea anyway. Anyway I’m convinced an actor should perform an idea. Not a character. An actor performs an idea.
It’s not even performing, but talking to yourself. And talking to yourself remains with you. I talk to myself. Topics and details change, but the main direction remains the same.
KS: This is not a demonic piece, this is the story, in which the presence of God is stated strictly and precisely. Actually, a spiritual action. That’s why, as any spiritual action, it requires some sacrifice. Well, we agreed that Oleg won’t have his hair cut for some time.
OM: In this case, I don’t care too much what he will produce. (aside, about the electric kettle) Why does it heat up so long? I don’t care what he will produce, because I’m interested in him as a person, I want to work with him. I will repeat again: I don’t know what will come of it.
He doesn’t know some nuances, some particular things. Frankly, in this view he is a normal person. But – how to put it? – he sees the target. And this matters most of all. And this is the reason, why we gathered for three months – to go this way till the very end.
KS: We may fail, and there will be no premiere in April. In this case – well, we are sorry, but we failed. In other words, we don’t take any responsibility that it will be a blockbuster “Oleg Menshikov in “Demon”” – nobody guarantees it.

OM: Thank you, friends.