Vakhtangov Theater's New Production Impresses Shanghai Audience

Russia's Vakhtangov Theater brought two major productions, "Amadeus" and "Pushkin Tales," to the Shanghai Oriental Art Center as part of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival this week.

The new production "Amadeus," staged on Wednesday and Thursday, was well received by Shanghai audience. Famed Chinese actor Pu Cunxin was even spotted in the audience two days in a row, a clear sign of the veteran actor's strong endorsement of his Russian counterparts.

This three-hour work offers a witty and precise portrayal of the personalities of a host of characters, especially the relationship between Mozart and Salieri. Although the stage is minimalist, the ingenuity behind it is not simple: the opening and closing of a door and a beam of light can instantly shift the scene and the mood.

The actors' slightly exaggerated and highly innovative physical expressions repeatedly drew laughter and applause from the audience.

"The expression of rich emotions doesn't have to rely on the shouting and yelling you often see in TV dramas. It can also be conveyed through humor or metaphor," one audience member who also saw the troupe's "War and Peace" in 2024 told Shanghai Daily.

Before the performance, a sharing session with the director and actors was held at the Shanghai Library. The creative team shared the literary origins of the two works, introduced the connection between "Amadeus" and Pushkin's short verse play "Mozart and Salieri," as well as the concept for the stage adaptation of "Pushkin Tales," helping the audience further understand the relationship between literary texts and theatrical creation.

On Saturday and Sunday, "Pushkin Tales" will take over the stage. Drawn from Pushkin's "The Tales of Belkin," this production is set on four stories: "The Squire's Daughter," "The Shot," "The Blizzard," and "The Stationmaster."

The four stories are arranged in a seasonal order, reflecting on the cycle of life. What runs through these stories is not a specific character, but chance and fate.

If you go

Dates: November 14, 7:15pm; November 15, 2pm

Tickets: 280-1,080 yuan

Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center 上海东方艺术中心

Address: 425 Dingxiang Rd 丁香路425号