From 20 September to 6 October 2024, Vladivostok will host the Third International Pacific Theatre Festival. The programme reflects the diversity of cultural and theatrical traditions and is aimed at strengthening international cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The programme features 11 performances of various genres, created by theatre practitioners from Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan and Russia.
Uncharted facets of world theatre await: a visual dance interpretation of a thousand‑year‑old landscape painting masterpiece; a Chinese perspective on French classics; wild samurai from the Land of the Rising Sun; Argentine tango in the air; Indian stand‑up comedy; the Russian‑Canadian‑German genre‑bending experiment "Reverse" ; Brazilian drama; a contemporary take on the medieval legend of extracting the "stone of folly" in a joint Belarusian‑Russian project; the highly anticipated 2024 premiere of the Theatre of Nations – "Friends" , directed by a Japanese director; a puppet theatre production voiced by a stellar cast; and a concert‑performance featuring Evgeny Mironov and Marina Alexandrova – all this and more awaits audiences in Vladivostok. Tickets for the performances can be purchased on the official website: www.pacificfest.ru.
20 and 21 September – The Festival will open with the stunning production "Poetic Dance: A Journey Through a Legendary Landscape" , inspired by the famous painting "Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" by a Chinese artist from the Song Dynasty (10th–13th centuries). The unique 11‑metre scroll is a masterpiece of traditional Chinese landscape painting, with a history spanning nearly a thousand years. Thanks to refined choreographic skill and elaborate sets – including a revolving stage – the legendary scroll will literally come to life before the audience's eyes. The meticulous work of creating this large‑scale production, involving over 40 dancers, took the Group of Eastern Performing Arts more than a year and is, without exaggeration, a cultural treasure of China.
21 and 22 September – A remarkable gift from Japan will be presented by the world‑famous taiko drumming group "Nobushi". The name itself promises much: taiko means "big drum", and nobushi means "wild samurai". Their energetic and colourful performances are dedicated to Japanese gods and Buddha, and are steeped in the spirit of the samurai era. All compositions are original. Their distinctive and unique style is beloved in many countries – this art is not taught in music schools; it is as unique as the Nobushi themselves. The skill of drumming is passed down from generation to generation by the residents of a small town in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the northern coast of Kyushu Island. This authentic cultural soil has given rise to outstanding performers: most of the musicians have been playing drums since childhood. The group gives no fewer than 80 concerts a year around the world. Admission will be free for all!
24 and 25 September – The National Theatre of China will present its reading of Edmond Rostand's play "Cyrano de Bergerac". Combining the European acting school with the captivating art of Chinese opera, blending Eastern and Western traditions, director Ding Yiteng – hailed at home as "the most popular young director‑innovator" – will tell the famous story of a brave warrior and gifted poet, valiant in battle but timid in love.
27 and 28 September – An extraordinary spectacle will be presented by the Brenda Angiel Aerial Contemporary Dance Company from Buenos Aires. In the production "8eight", the famous Argentine tango intertwines with other rhythms and styles. Soaring not across the dance floor but through the air, the performers captivate with elegance and sensuality – all accompanied by live music. The company has toured the world, performed at international festivals and played to stadium audiences of thousands. Aerial dancers have amazed and won over millions of spectators across the globe.
29 September – The programme continues with the one‑man show "Nothing Like Lear". Indian director Rajaat Kapoor, who possesses a unique talent for creating comedies from dark subjects, reinterprets Shakespeare's play in his characteristic manner – the tragic Lear appears before the audience as a clown. The sole performer is acclaimed Bollywood actor Vinay Pathak as Lear, holding the audience in suspense for nearly two hours: what begins as stand‑up comedy gradually transforms into drama.
29 and 30 September – The Moscow Theatre of Operetta will present the genre‑bending experiment "Reverse". In this production, superb dramatic acting is combined with refined choreography and stunts on the edge of human possibility. Trapped in a confined space, fifteen characters tell a story of human struggle against external circumstances and against oneself – of the lowest and the most beautiful manifestations, which are revealed only in extreme situations – and finally, of the crucial choice that every person faces at least once in life. An international team worked on the production. Directors Andrey Koltsov and Irina Drozhzhina, together with choreographer Debra Brown (Canada) and lighting designer Joachim Barth (Germany), have created an intensely dynamic piece that defies any existing theatrical genre.
1 and 2 October – The programme features a landmark co‑production: the play "The Stone of Folly" by Belarusian playwright Konstantin Steshik – a joint project of the Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama, the International Confederation of Theatre Unions, and the Regional Public Foundation for the Support of the International Chekhov Theatre Festival. A contemporary take on a medieval legend: a charlatan posing as a doctor extracts a "stone" from the head of a gullible patient, supposedly preventing him from living. The production explores the search for meaning in life, dreams and the collapse of illusions when they confront reality.
2 and 3 October – The programme continues with the State Theatre of Nations production "Friends" , directed by Japanese director Motoi Miura, based on the play of the same name by his compatriot, avant‑gardist Kōbō Abe. The plot centres on a strange situation: a young man's apartment is suddenly invaded by an entire family of eight. Hiding behind the best of intentions, they intrude into every aspect of his life – taking over his flat, his salary, his personal relationships, and ultimately his physical freedom. "Our production is about how quickly modern society can strip a person of their identity and destroy their belief in themselves," says Motoi Miura. The play, created in the spirit of Western European absurdism, takes on a special dimension in this production, where Japanese national culture "meets" Russian psychological theatre.
4 and 5 October – The Brazilian theatre company Armazém will present a bold and original reading of the brilliant novel by Brazilian literary classic Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis – "The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas" (also translated as "Epitaph of a Small Winner" ). The authors have transformed the novel's complex psychological realism into a captivating stage piece, in which the deceased protagonist Brás Cubas shares the story of his life with the world – beginning from the moment of his death. Scenography, lighting and live music combine to create a memorable atmosphere, transporting audiences back to the 19th century. With this landmark production, Armazém celebrates its 35th anniversary.
5 and 6 October – Guests of the Pacific Festival will be able to see the first puppet production of the State Theatre of Nations, whose central character is the folkloric figure of the Muslim East – Khoja Nasreddin. The adventures of the famous philosopher and trickster are recounted by his faithful companion – the donkey. The adventure plot will captivate both children and adults. The puppets speak in the recognisable voices of beloved actors: Evgeny Mironov, Konstantin Khabensky, Viktor Verzhbitsky, Igor Zolotovitsky, Elizaveta Boyarskaya and Inga Oboldina. The production is created in the aesthetic of old black‑and‑white cinema, but as if coloured by the flavour, mood and wisdom of the East. "Khoja Nasreddin" is a winner of the Golden Mask Award (2022) for Best Puppet Theatre Production.
5 and 6 October – In the year celebrating the 225th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, the programme will conclude with the concert‑performance "Onegin: Lyrical Digressions" – a true feast of music and poetry. From the stage, fragments of Pushkin's greatest work are not simply recited – talented contemporary actors transform before our eyes: Evgeny Mironov reads for the narrator and for Onegin; Marina Alexandrova reads for Tatyana and for Lensky. A special role belongs to the music: the Symphony Orchestra of the Primorye Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky's operas and ballets, as well as works by Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff, Sviridov and Khachaturian. All this was conceived and realised by Marina Brusnikina, who decided to take a closer look at the "lyrical digressions" in the novel – about life, love, friendship and creativity.
Festival performances will take place at the Primorye Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre (Grand Hall and Small Hall), the M. Gorky Primorye Academic Regional Drama Theatre and the Primorye Regional Youth Theatre.
GREETINGS to the organisers, participants, guests and audiences of the Third International Pacific Theatre Festival:
Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation
Dear friends!
I am pleased to welcome you to Vladivostok, to the International Pacific Theatre Festival.
Your Festival is rightly regarded as a major and truly celebratory event in the cultural life of the Russian Far East and of the entire country. Bringing together on its stages bright and talented representatives of creative professions from Russia, Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Germany, India, Canada, China and Japan, it creates a special, inspiring atmosphere, giving residents and visitors to the capital of Primorye the joy of encountering high art. And, of course, the Festival makes a significant contribution to the development of international humanitarian cooperation, helping to realise joint projects and to strengthen trust and mutual understanding between people.
I am confident that the Forum's rich programme, representing a wide range of theatrical genres, schools and traditions, will fully meet the public's expectations and leave warm, unforgettable impressions.
I wish you all the very best.
Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation
Dear friends!
On behalf of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, I welcome you to the Third International Pacific Theatre Festival.
Residents and visitors of Primorye, without leaving the region, will be able to engage with the diverse cultural palette of the Pacific region and discover the distinctive theatrical creativity from around the world.
Audiences in Vladivostok will see performances across a wide range of genres, created by theatre practitioners from Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Germany, India, Canada, China, Russia and Japan. Under the auspices of the Festival, masterclasses by Russian and international directors, actors and choreographers, as well as lectures and training sessions led by leading experts in contemporary theatre, will take place. I am confident that the rich programme will leave no one indifferent.
I sincerely wish the International Pacific Theatre Festival captivating performances and creative flourishing, and its guests bright and unforgettable impressions!
Oleg Kozhemyako, Governor of Primorsky Krai
Dear guests, participants and organisers of the Third International Pacific Theatre Festival! I warmly welcome you to the hospitable land of Primorye.
For the third time, Vladivostok becomes a place of joyful gathering for all who love theatre, who honour its great traditions, its diversity of forms, its relentless searches and creative discoveries.
The Pacific Festival is a significant, large‑scale event within the state Programme for the Development of Theatre Arts in the Far East, which is being implemented with the support of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Thanks to the efforts of the project's head – People's Artist of Russia Evgeny Mironov – the Festival has become a new hallmark of Primorye's cultural life.
Over two years, the event was attended by 30,000 residents and guests of Primorye. Despite the complex international situation, we have managed to assemble a rich programme with companies from China, Brazil, Vietnam, Cuba, South Africa and other countries.
This year, over 17 days of the Festival, theatre lovers will see dramatic, puppet and choreographic productions, street theatre and even a genre‑bending experiment.
In compiling the programme, the organisers have taken into account Vladivostok's status as the Youth Capital of Russia. Several productions, as well as the educational programme, are aimed primarily at younger audiences.
We once again await a true theatrical celebration. From the bottom of my heart, I wish the participants and organisers inspiration and creation, and the audiences wonderful discoveries and vivid impressions.
Evgeny Mironov, Head of the Programme for the Development of Theatre Arts in the Far East, Artistic Director of the State Theatre of Nations, People's Artist of Russia
The International Pacific Theatre Festival is an important part of the state Programme for the Development of Theatre Arts in the Far East, which was supported by the President of Russia, V.V. Putin. The Festival has become a significant event not only for Vladivostok but for the country as a whole, because here, at our eastern border, a huge potential for cultural exchange has been revealed. The Festival programme features companies not only from the Pacific region but also from other countries – this year, productions will be presented by Russia, China, India, Argentina, Brazil and Belarus. This allows us not only to show the Far Eastern audience the finest examples of contemporary theatre art, but also to contribute to the development of Russia's relations with the international cultural community. In addition to these two missions, the International Pacific Theatre Festival also implements an extensive educational programme, which offers opportunities to attend lectures, masterclasses, exchange experiences with foreign colleagues and create new work, including for future festivals. This work is for the long term, and I am glad that the Festival in Vladivostok is taking place for the third time, that it has a broad response from both audiences and professionals, and that it has become an integral part of international cultural exchange.
Karina Tsaturova, Head of the International Pacific Theatre Festival, General Director of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival
The appeal of the International Pacific Theatre Festival is largely defined by its core mission: to introduce Far Eastern audiences more closely to the finest productions from the Pacific region and other countries around the world. The programme reflects the diversity of cultural and theatrical traditions and is aimed at strengthening international cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The International Pacific Theatre Festival is a testament to the open nature of Russian culture, the strength of its classical traditions and its receptiveness to new creative exploration. The International Pacific Theatre Festival is young, but has already built its own audience and become a much‑anticipated event in the region. I am confident that the Third International Pacific Theatre Festival will be a success and will be remembered by audiences and participants alike as a true celebration of art, full of vivid impressions. We are grateful to the Ministry of Culture for understanding the importance of the Festival and for providing it with the necessary support. Our special thanks go to our partners, sponsors and friends – and especially to our steadfast General Partner, Channel One, and to this year's Festival sponsor, VTB Bank.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
As part of the International Pacific Theatre Festival, a wide‑ranging Educational Programme is offered, including lectures and masterclasses by Russian and international directors, as well as courses in vocal technique, stage combat and acting. A highlight will be the premiere of the student production "The Fairground Booth" , based on Alexander Blok's play, staged in the Laboratory of Akop Kazanchyan – Chief Director of the Yerevan State Paronyan Musical Comedy Theatre and Chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of Armenia. Also notable will be a meeting with Anatoly Vasiliev – a director whose name is known worldwide, whose productions "The Adult Daughter of a Young Man" and "Cerceau" opened new horizons in Russian theatre.
The teaching faculty includes renowned directors and theatre scholars, among them:
Brenda Angiel (Argentina) – founder and Artistic Director of the Aerial Contemporary Dance Company;
Anastasia Vasilevich – theatre scholar, playwright, head of the Belarusian Drama Centre and editor of the theatre section of "Mastatstva" magazine (Minsk);
Anatoly Vasiliev – director, founder of his own theatre system and the School of Dramatic Art theatre (Moscow);
Dmitry Ivanov – actor, director, senior lecturer in Stage Movement and Stage Combat at GITIS. He will conduct an intensive course in stage combat for students of the Far Eastern State Institute of Arts;
Ding Yiteng (China) – director;
Akop Kazanchyan (Armenia) – Chief Director of the Yerevan State Paronyan Musical Comedy Theatre, head of the Armenian branch of the International Theatre Institute (UNESCO);
Rajaat Kapoor (India) – theatre and film director;
Motoi Miura (Japan) – director, Artistic Director of the Chiten Theatre;
Paulo de Moraes (Brazil) – founder of the Armazém Theatre Company;
Tatyana Morozova – actress, designer, pedagogue. She will conduct an intensive course in acting for students of the Far Eastern State Institute of Arts;
Ekaterina Novikova – cultural theorist, art historian, orientalist;
Gleb Sitkovsky – theatre scholar, theatre critic, journalist;
Natalia Tabachnikova – theatre scholar, theatre critic, head of major international projects, press attaché and co‑author of Vyacheslav Polunin in his literary works;
Seseg Hapsasova – actress. She will conduct an intensive course "Vocal Techniques in Drama Theatre" for students of the Far Eastern State Institute of Arts;
Veronika Yarmolinskaya – Doctor of Arts, Professor, Head of the Theatre Department at the Centre for Studies of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The International Pacific Theatre Festival takes place in a unique location where Western culture "meets" the East. Among its key objectives is to help establish Vladivostok as one of the cultural capitals of the region and of Russia.
The Pacific Festival is a significant, large‑scale event within the state Programme for the Development of Theatre Arts in the Far East, launched in 2019. The initiative came from the State Theatre of Nations and its Artistic Director, Evgeny Mironov. The project was supported by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. The creative concept was developed by Valery Ivanovich Shadrin, who for thirty years headed the International Chekhov Theatre Festival. Its core mission is educational – enabling audiences, without leaving Primorye, to engage with the diverse cultural palette of the Pacific region and to encounter distinctive theatre practitioners from around the world.
The first Festival was organised and held under the difficult conditions of the pandemic. Despite this, participants from Argentina, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Switzerland, South Korea and Japan came to the capital of Primorye. The results showed incredible success – tickets sold out within days, and Festival events were attended by over 12,000 spectators.
The second Pacific Festival was dedicated to the memory of V.I. Shadrin, who passed away in December 2022. The programme he had prepared was successfully realised by the organisers. Despite new challenges, a rich and engaging programme was assembled, featuring companies from Brazil, Vietnam, China, Cuba, South Africa and other countries. Audience numbers exceeded 18,000.
In autumn 2024, Vladivostok will once again become a centre of international cultural attraction. The programme of the Third Pacific Festival has been developed by the International Chekhov Theatre Festival with the direct participation of the State Theatre of Nations. It includes performances of various genres, created by theatre practitioners from Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan and Russia. Chinese companies occupy a special place in the programme, as 2024–2025 have been declared cross‑years of Russian and Chinese culture. Particular attention will be paid to Vladivostok's status as the "Youth Capital of Russia". The programme includes several productions aimed primarily at younger audiences. As tradition dictates, the Festival will also feature masterclasses by Russian and international directors, actors and choreographers, as well as lectures and training sessions led by leading experts in contemporary theatre.
The International Pacific Theatre Festival is young but has already built its own audience and become a much‑anticipated event in the region. Its mission remains to continue introducing audiences to the diversity of contemporary theatre art, while helping to strengthen Russia's image as a country open to the further development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The Pacific Festival in Vladivostok sees this as its purpose.
The Festival is held in Vladivostok with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Government of Primorsky Krai.
Organisers: Chekhov International Theatre Festival, with the participation of the State Theatre of Nations.
General Partner: Channel One.
Sponsor: VTB Bank.
Regional Information Partner: OTV-Prim TV Channel.
Ticketing Partner: kassy.ru.
Educational Programme Partners: Far Eastern State Institute of Arts, Pushkin Theatre of the Far Eastern Federal University, and the Federal Centre for Humanitarian Practices.
Information Support: Russia‑1 Primorye TV Channel, PrimaMedia news agency, portals "Kultura.RF" and "Kulturnoye Primorye", Monte Carlo Radio, [OFF] Magazine and the "Digital Primorye" information system.
Partner: Slavda Water