Press Information
1980-2010 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FINBOROUGH THEATRE
Anniversary Autumn 2010 –
September to November 2010
Direct from Canada, the European Premiere
Talk Is Free Theatre in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre presents
THE TALE OF IVAN VS. IVAN
Adapted from the novella by Nikolai Gogol by Aleksandar Lukac and the Company.
Directed by Aleksandar Lukac. Designed by Carleigh Aikins and Katherine Salnek. Lighting by Gareth Crew.
Cast includes: David Dodsley. Colin Doyle. Parris Greaves. Milosh Rodic. Jennifer Stewart. Alicia Toner.
Direct from Canada and as part of a European tour that includes Belgrade and Moscow, Talk Is Free Theatre from Barrie, Ontario, make their UK debut with the European premiere of The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan, based on the novella by Nikolai Gogol, playing for six Sunday and Monday performances, opening on Sunday, 10 October 2010 (Press Night: Monday, 11 October 2010) at the Finborough Theatre as part of its 30th anniversary year.
A hilarious and blackly comic satire of friendship, greed, boredom and folly, The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan tells the story of two inseparable friends, both named Ivan, who quarrel over Ivan Nikiforovych’s new gun. Chaos ensues as they attempt to fight out their differences in court, and their entire village is swiftly drawn into their all-out war of absurdist proportions…
This new adaptation of The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan is a unique blend of several theatrical genres amalgamated into one truly unique performance style – including Commedia dell' arte, slapstick, verbal improvisation, puppet theatre, and the travelling carnival "freak" shows of North America.
Already well known for championing Canadian theatre [“Relatively unfamiliar theatrical territory in which only the Finborough shows a persistent interest.” Michael Billington, The Guardian], the Finborough Theatre and Talk Is Free Theatre are working together in what they hope will be the first of a series of regular theatrical exchanges between the UK and Canada, supported by Canada Council for the Arts / Conseil des Arts du Canada.
Novelist and playwright Nikolai Gogol (1809–1852) was a Ukrainian-born Russian writer. He is seen by most critics as the first Russian realist whose biting satire, comic realism, and descriptions of Russian provincials and petty bureaucrats influenced later Russian masters like Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and especially Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Talk Is Free Theatre’s original Canadian production of The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan marked the bicentenary of Nikolai Gogol’s birth, and the company has previously produced, to great acclaim, Gogol’s two major plays – The Government Inspector (2007) and The Marriage (2003).
Former Artistic Director of the National Theatre, Belgrade, director Aleksandar Lukac’s previous productions for Talk is Free Theatre include The Government Inspector, Marriage, Oliver! Moliere or The League of Hypocrites and Dora Mavor Moore nominated Christmas at the Ivanov’s. He recently directed four shows in his native Serbia – Victor or the Children in Power, Newcomer, and Newcomers (Grand Prix at the 2007 Festival of Serbian Theatres), and Master and Margarita (National Theatre, Uzice). He has directed close to a hundred professional productions internationally including Yugoslavia, Holland, Canada and Serbia. Lukac has been an Artistic Director at the National Theatre in Belgrade, Theatre Zoran Radmilovic and the independent political theatre, Plexus Boris Piljnjak, which was a catalyst of political controversy in Belgrade in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He has been awarded Best Director at The Festival of Serbian Theatres a record six times. He currently teaches theatre at York University, Toronto.
The cast of The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan includes Milosh Rodic (Talk Is Free Theatre’s productions of The Marriage, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Oliver!, Moliere, A Chekhov Play and This is a Play) as Ivan Ivanovich. Other cast members include David Dodsley (Talk Is Free Theatre’s productions of Moliere or The League of Hypocrites and Christmas at The Ivanov’s), Jennifer Stewart (the Toronto productions of Hairspray and Mamma Mia!, Talk Is Free Theatre’s productions of Kiss Me Kate, Anyone Can Whistle, The Government Inspector, Emily as an actor, and Bye Bye Birdie as a director), Parris Greaves (The Toronto production of A New Brain and Talk Is Free Theatre’s production of Napoleon – in Concert) and Alicia Toner (Talk Is Free Theatre’s production of Assassins and workshop of Dear World).
Talk Is Free Theatre is an artist-driven, award winning theatre company based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. The company was founded in 2003 by Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak and has produced nearly fifty productions concentrating largely on new and neglected work. Most recently, Talk Is Free Theatre’s co-production of Assassins won Canada’s leading theatre award – the Dora Mavor Moore Award – for Outstanding Production of a Musical, which is due to be revived next year. The company also recently workshopped Jerry Herman’s forgotten musical Dear World, starring Andrea Martin.
The Press on Talk Is Free Theatre’s previous productions
“Watching friends fight has never been this much fun.” Leigh Blenkhorn, The Barrie Advance on The Tale of Ivan Vs Ivan
“Brazier's production for Birdland Theatre and Talk Is Free Theatre [is] an absolutely delirious theatrical experience.” **** Four Stars (out of 4), J. Kelly Nestruck, The Globe and Mail on Assassins
“This production of Assassins is a sharp-edged treat from start to finish. Miss it at your peril.” **** Four Stars (out of 4), John Terauds, The Toronto Star on Assassins
“If you love musical theatre and somehow manage to miss this show, you just might feel like shooting yourself.” ***** Five Stars (out of 5), John Coulbourne, The Toronto Sun on Assassins
“A killer musical show.” Robert Cushman, The National Post on Assassins
“Theatre at its best – controversial, provocative, disturbing, and yes, entertaining.” Paula Citron, Classical 96.3 FM on Assassins
“Arkady Spivak believes in Canadian musicals the way the late theatrical producer and director Joe Papp used to believe in U.S. ones.” Richard Ouzounian, The Toronto Star
“Talk Is Free Theater isa tiny, low budget operation but Artistic Director Arkady Spivak is committed to producing Canadian musicals and…finds first-rate casts willing to do them.” Variety
"Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak promised an unforgettable evening of theatre and, for everyone who managed to get a ticket, it was". The Sondheim Review on Anyone Can Whistle in Concert.
PRESS NIGHT: MONDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2010 AT 7.30PM
PHOTOCALL: By Arrangement. Please email
Finborough Theatre, The Finborough, 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED
Box Office 0844 847 1652. www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk
Sundays and Mondays, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 October 2010
Evenings at 7.30pm. Tickets £13, £9 concessions
Performance Length: 1 hour 40 minutes with no interval.
For more information, interviews and images, please contact
Neil McPherson on e-mail or 07977 173135
Press releases and images are available to download from http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/pressresources.htm
Supported by
118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED Telephone +44 (0)20 7244 7439 Fax +44 (0)20 7835 1853
e-mail www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk Artistic Director Neil McPherson
The Finborough Theatre is managed by The Steam Industry. Registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee, no. 3448268.
Registered Charity no. 1071304. Registered address: 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED. A member of the Independent Theatre Council.