by George Noskov

A rehearsed reading of two new existentialist plays,
and two short films by Aldons.

Evening at 7.30 p.m.
Ticket Prices : £8 standard tickets
(£5 concessions/members)

In a 5 page script Noskov succeeds in presenting an engrossing philosophical play. “From the depths of time” he resurrects the two great Russian intellectuals, Dostoyevsky and Chekhov, who come to life in front of our eyes. Noskov also places himself on the stage as a writer, and the three of them proceed to drink vodka and talk. The effect of the vodka and the introduction on stage of two cats, which remind us of ourselves, provide a disillusioned view of life and humanity. As he says, through his own character’s mouth, Noskov is interested in “real people”. Like Bejart, whose intention was to strip dance of its decorum in order to reveal the human soul on stage, he proceeds to explore the depths of the human soul, of feelings and relationships. The audience is made to feel what its like to live in a world devoid of rules and enter with him into the realm of imagination, where anything can happen. Far from the the hustle and bustle of everyday life, this bitter comedy makes the audience reflect on the very essence of humanity. While criticising modern consumer society and reflecting on the difference between appearing and being, Noskov challenges the audience. This play makes us both think about and laugh at "reality" at the same time.

In another of his short existential plays, Noskov's "Happy Marriage", brings three friends to the stage, meeting to celebrate the soon-to-be marriage of one of them, Stuart. The audience is rapidly plunged into a world devoid of love where people’s acts are motivated by self-interest alone. The successfull businessmen rejoice over the money they are making, but Noskov explores their friendship and how it is undermined by money and religion and explores the relationship between the two lovers. The audience becomes gradually aware that the bride, Tatiana, is actually a total stranger to Stuart who gradually gets to know her better. A letter he suddenly receives from her family crudely reveals the truth about her family and social background. Noskov explores the harsh contrast between expectations and reality with a scathing irony. The audience cannot help finding the deceived Stuart funny, while feeling sympathy for him at the same time. Instead of a hard-working family representing a business opportunity for him, Stuart discovers that Tatiana’s family is a caricature of social outsiders - a criminal, a prostitute and drunkards of low social status with no morals. Witnessing Stuart’s despair, the audience do not know if they are attending a comedy or a tragedy. Noskov’s message may be that both are part of life, and that theatre reflects this complex ambiguity. No matter how hard life may be, reality shatters one's deepest hopes and expectations, and one is probably better off to laugh about it. In questioning human love and madness, Noskov makes the audience reflect on dream and reality, theatre and life. Towards the end, the actors seem to abandon their characters and look at them from a distance, with the stage being treated as an imaginary world within reality and reflecting reality. The bitter last line leaves the audience with a view of people living for their personal interest in a materialistic world.