The premiere of this performance took place on October 10, 2002. And since then, a play show, a performance extravaganza, a play drama based on the play by Anthony McCartin, Simon Sinclair and Jacques Collard “Ladies Night. Only for women “continues to conquer cities and countries. I must say that fans of the theater in Dubai are incredibly lucky. It was with this staging of the "independent theater project" in early May that the Stars dome group company solemnly closed the theater season of 2009-2010. And luck, in fact, is that the performance, which ends with a half-hour male striptease, could easily not be allowed on the stage of the emirates, quite rightly appealing to local customs and moral and ethical standards. But somehow managed and yet, it happened!
The audience’s favorites, perhaps the most stellar cast of Russian theater and cinema actors, flew to Dubai: Gosha Kutsenko (Greg), Honored Artist of Russia Georgy Martirosyan (Bernie), Honored Artist of Russia Ekaterina Durova (Glenda), Honored Artist of Russia Valery Yaremenko (Graham), Peter Krasilov (Norman), Mikhail Policeitsimako (Wesley), Pavel Sbornikov (Kevin) and Vyacheslav Razbegaev (Barry). We already knew some of the actors, met someone for the first time, but the feeling of talking with the troupe led by the producer of the Independent Theater Project Elshan Mammadov was as if old good friends had gathered again to chat about about this. In the course of a short conversation before the start of the performance (as it has historically developed), we discussed both local traditions and the end of the season in Dubai, and, of course, the performance itself. Intriguing and long-awaited, for many it is a "litmus test", with the help of which both a sense of humor and attitude to life are checked ....
The performance “Ladies Night” is extremely popular both in Russia and in other countries of the world. On the poster under his English name is the phrase "Only for women." Traditionally, all prohibition inscriptions are of great interest. How many women are usually in the hall, and how many men?
Mihail Politseymako: According to the statistics of Gala Media for 1998 .... (general laughter).
Georgy Martirosyan: I would like to start the answer with the fact that we are not statistics, we are actors ...
Vyacheslav Razbegaev: We don’t look at the hall at all. We play with ourselves and for ourselves, why do we need a viewer?
Elshan Mammadov: In general, when we conceived this performance, we did not set ourselves the goal of showing striptease. This production is last about striptease. Before the 20-minute show at the very end, there are two and a half hours of play, which, in my opinion, is played by a wonderful and rare troupe in Moscow, assembled by director Viktor Shamirov.
This performance is already ending its 8th season. In total, he was shown more than 450 times, and this is a very large figure for such a statement. This is a large and costly performance. Today, he holds the first place in terms of attendance in Moscow. For example, he has already visited Israel three times, which is generally unbelievable for the country where nothing is played every month in St. Petersburg. In the city of Yaroslavl, which is not even a millionaire, Ladies Night was shown 12 times. And this is also an achievement. Therefore, if we talk about the numbers and statistics of this production, about which the actors do not know much, then this performance, by which we finish our first theatrical season in the UAE, is kind of indicative. Something like that.
And yet, many viewers go to “Ladies Night”, driven by the desire to watch a striptease performed by their favorite actors, only then thinking about its meaning ...
Elshan Mammadov: The very play “Ladies Night” about how to “take a step”. About overcoming. About how people who want to change something in their life go to a certain action. Someone goes to unload the cars to make money, and someone goes to earn, dancing a striptease in a club for women. For me, the genre of this performance is a "social fairy tale." I defined this for myself many years ago. This is a fairy tale, but they really want to believe in it. People who sit in the hall believe in it. After all, imagine, in seven days not a single person in the world, no matter how he wanted it, could not become a professional dancer. But people so want to believe in it, that the transformation of these "ugly ducklings" into real Apollos, in such a short time, does not bother anyone at all. Moreover, all the actors involved in this performance are of a high professional level (it will not be said with them). I want to note that this performance is not only with us, in the "Independent Theater Project". We held exclusive rights to it for several years, but now other theaters also put it on. I saw all the options, and not advertising myself much, I can say that there is no better cast anywhere.
Vyacheslav Razbegaev: Now, this monologue by Elshan can be divided into all of us, and we get a conversation with the troupe (general laughter). Dubai for many people is also a kind of fairy tale.
This is your first performance of “Ladies Night” in the Arab Middle Eastern country, moreover, in the Muslim country ... Were there any special requirements on the part of the organizers of the tour in Dubai, the Stars Dome Group, for actors, separate numbers?
Elshan Mammadov: I said for a year that this performance should not be taken to the Emirates, and then I agreed. Now Valera Yaremenko, Honored Artist of Russia, will continue my speech smoothly.
Valery Yaremenko: We have come a very long way to undress in Moscow, and now we have to overcome ourselves again, but in order to get dressed again in Dubai and find ourselves undressed. In my opinion, today's performance will be given by us in the genre of "theater of the absurd". In order not to violate any local conventions and traditions, we will have to infringe on ourselves. I honestly don’t know what it will be, but we haven’t had such a performance yet, and for us this is the premiere. They specially bought us, I don’t even know what to call it, leotards, probably, which we will have to wear under our thongs. Therefore, for us, today's performance is the same event as for the Dubai audience.
Pavel Sbornikov: Yes, in Dubai we will present some adapted version of the usual performance.
Mikhail Policeitsimako: Of course, we can individually, for someone to play, as expected ....
Peter Krasilov: This is already called "corporate".
I have a question for the only lady in this wonderful acting team. Catherine, please tell me how you work in this production and with such partners?
Ekaterina Durova: We play this performance every month in St. Petersburg. And every time we have a big fight, with whom I will go in the compartment. But, already tired of fighting with me. In general, we live soul to soul.
Georgy Martirosyan: We all fight not with Katya, but for her. She even quit smoking.
Thanks to this performance?
Ekaterina Durova: Thanks to Martirosyan and these trips.
How comfortable do you all feel in this performance?
Vyacheslav Razbegaev: We have been playing this play for eight years now that the concepts of “what is good and what is bad” on the stage have already erased somewhat. At first, all this was started with the use of flesh-colored strings on the stage. And so we played several performances. But then they realized that it was stupid. Because, firstly, this is visible from the audience, and secondly, we are not showing anything so supernatural. Everything you need is covered. And we did not experience feelings of awkwardness from the first day. And eight years have passed ... I would like to know from the audience how they feel.
Valery Yaremenko: We have the protection of our characters. The subjective truth that we bring to the audience fully justifies us. Therefore, we have not the slightest doubt that we are doing something wrong.
Question to Peter Krasilov. You were part of the first troupe that began the theater seasons of the Independent Theater Project in the UAE with the performance of Boeing Boeing. In what mood did you fly to Dubai for the second time with the production of “Ladies Night”?
Peter Krasilov: In a great mood. Because I remember how we played Boeing here, and even then I really liked it. Although the local audience at the first performance was not quite ready for theatrical performances, we managed to convey to him in just two evenings that the theater is a slightly different substance, this is not a movie or a concert. This, you know, in hotels there is animation when specially trained people entertain guests. So, theater is not an animation. If a person came to watch a performance, then he still must think carefully to delve into what is happening on the stage. And it’s not necessary at the same time to make a phone call and inform the interlocutor that they say that they are entertaining us here, for another half an hour, and we will drive where necessary. Therefore, I know that the audience in Dubai is ready and wants to perceive the theater as a theater. Today, I think, our performance will be successful.
Then, thanks to everyone. We look forward to your appearance on the stage.
And away we go. Jokes-jokes, some on the verge of a foul, but still terribly funny. Completely different characters, difficult destinies, a discussion of all life problems and family troubles at the bar, where everything is run by the owner of the institution Bernie (George Martirosyan). Funny and surprisingly plastic Glenda (Ekaterina Durova), a former ballerina who has remained on the sidelines of life, who begins to teach sluggish, like elephants, men in the art of elegant dance.
Laughing through tears at the first dance steps “butterfly-cabbage, butterfly-charming” performed by obese Kevin (Pavel Sbornikov) or constant attempts by Barry (Vyacheslav Razbegaev), who did not want to get naked, cover his body with a guitar. If we briefly talk about the storyline of the play directed by Victor Shamirov, for those who were unable to watch it, we’ll look at the poster that says: “Six unemployed friends try in vain to find work. Each has a family, but there is no work - the only one closed the city’s employer is a metallurgical plant, I notice a newspaper ad that every lady must pay $ 200 for the entrance to the bar, where men’s striptease is shown. A crazy idea comes up all of a sudden: to organize a group of strippers to otoroya will bring to frenzy the female audience of nightclubs. "Ugly ducklings" in front of an amazed audience turn into super-heroes. "
But in fact, this same full-house performance of the Russian capital, lasting 3 hours with one intermission, does not let the viewer go for a minute. The brilliant play of the actors, the interweaving of the difficult destinies and characters of each hero, their desire to earn money (and everyone knows why he needs such a lot of money), shame and shamelessness, stupid costumes with hare ears and crocodile tails at the very beginning of the "dance career" of the new group led by manager Greg (Gosha Kutsenko) and choreographer Glenda, disputes with bartender Bernie and scandals with Graham (Valery Yaremenko), and, finally, a delightful interactive dance show, in which all the audience in the hall are involved. Of course, this is a striptease! And, of course, male. But what a subtle, beautiful, spectacular! With champagne and flowers! In a word, women are delighted (this is a calculation)! The men in the hall - discouraged and thinking about how to start tomorrow - from the gym or after all from a dance lesson? A “Ladies Night. Only for women ”lowers the curtain. The show is over. See you next season!
