On February 12, in a venue on Studite Street, Director Vasily Berezin will present a remarkable event hosted by Binary Biotheater. The performance, which attendees can enjoy free of charge, arrives as a carefully crafted stage reading that blends stark storytelling with atmospheric staging. The note from journal reports “Theatre” hints at a production that seeks to capture more than just a narrative; it aims to evoke memory, cold, and the quiet ache of longing that cinema and theatre often share in the same breath.
The evening draws inspiration from two distinct Christmas narratives. Hans Christian Andersen’s tale The Little Match Girl and Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Boy at Christ’s Tree serve as the literary bedrock for a production that treats each story as a mirror reflecting themes of innocence, isolation, and the final journey into unknown realms. Berezin describes the central arc as follows: a girl and a boy, each succumbing to the chill of winter, ascend to their own paradises. The dramatic arc is deliberate and hushed, a slow burn that turns the stage into a crucible where ice becomes lava, and emotion is allowed to simmer without self-conscious flourish. The cast brings together performers from Electrotheatre, including Andrey Ostrovsky and Tomasina Moskplenko, whose collaboration lends a layered, intimate energy to the unfolding scenes.
Originally staged in Saint Petersburg, the production first found life at the Annenkirche Lutheran Church, where the space itself offered a hushed, reverent air that complemented the material. The creators acknowledge that the upcoming premiere will be charged with new meanings and soundscapes, inviting audiences to listen for differences in tone and resonance that a new venue can impart. The visual world of the piece is thoughtfully designed to sharpen the emotional edges of the narrative. The production design is led by Polina Liske, with Vasilisa Lebedeva contributing as artist, Polina Zigangirova as the costume designer, and Masha Berdychevskaya serving as the second director. Each collaborator brings a distinct sensibility to the project, merging craft and storytelling to produce a night that lingers after the curtain falls.