Surprise effect

Anatolii Khostikoiev, People’s Artist of Ukraine directed the play based on David Freeman’s comedy of the same name. Khostikoiev told The Day that the search for a play lasted for quite a long time and the genre of the future performance hadn’t been determined to begin with: “I knew who had to be the main characters and was looking for material especially for those actors. Every director dreams to work with Bohdan Beniuk, Vasyl Mazur, Natalia Sumska. At the first glance, the play doesn’t have anything special in it. But I think I found a twist that will make it sound in a totally different way.”

The comedy brings us to the 1970s. Music by James Last reinforces the feeling of the era. The director in his work tries to get a break from the horrors of real life, referring to the time of his youth, when life seemed brighter, and people seemed kinder.

In Liuks dlia inozemtsiv (Suite for Foreigners) the audience will get a chance to see both the actors already known from other plays staged by the Theater Company: Bohdan Beniuk, Natalia Sumska, Vasyl Mazur, Ihor Rubashkin, Denys Martynov, and new faces like Natalia Yaroshenko and Anna Syrba. “I noticed Natalka Yaroshenko a long time ago by her work in the Ivan Franko National Drama Theater. There are actors who treat their profession with respect and understanding of that in order to be talented one should also be well disciplined. It is very important not only to come to rehearsals, but to bring one’s own creative views and suggestions. I was very pleased that Yaroshenko agreed to play a role in this performance. I have never seen Anna Syrba on stage or on television. I just needed a bright, modern, complex-free, and, at the same time, talented actress. It seems like together with Natalia Sumska we managed to find what we needed. Thus, the people in our Theater Company are not random,” says the director.

Setting designer of the play is Andrii Romanchenko, who has already worked with the Theater Company on Zadunaiets za Porohom (Danube Cossack beyond Rapids). He promised to create a setting for actors, which will enable them to show their individuality, skills, and vision of the material fully.

After the premiere in Kyiv, which will be held on September 20, 21 and 22 on the stage of Lesia Ukrainka Russian Drama Theater, there will be a tour to 10 oblast centers of Ukraine. Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk will traditionally be the first. Khostikoiev believes that the play will be easy to understand everywhere, because it raises the question of life. “I think, after seeing this play people will realize that life is wonderful, full of surprises, and bright. One only needs to look at it positively, at least try to do so, then it will be much more interesting,” he said.