Composer Stravinsky created his Petrushka in 1911; choreographer Varnava did so in 2017. In his interpretation of a theme that has lost none of its relevance over the past 106 years, the choreographer preserved the outline of the original libretto while placing the characters in a different context. Instead of playful fairground scenes, he presents a kind of diabolical clownery. There is no carnival crowd, no masqueraders, merchants, or gypsies; instead of the traditional bear, there is a panda, and circus acts performed by big-eared creatures dressed in gray costumes.

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“The action of the performance takes place in Petrushka’s mind, envisioned as a phantasmagorical circus,” the choreographer explains. “Our Petrushka is a person harassed by the collective, whose talent lies in feeling everything more acutely than others. A lonely soul, an individual confronting the crowd. He reflects on the concept of free will: does he have a choice of his own, or is everything predetermined and he is merely a character with a prewritten role?”

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