Immersive performance "Returned": is the show worth the money? Orgy, a dissolute pastor and vices in one mansion: why it is worth watching the play “Returned” Theater show returned.

Modern immersive performance implies the complete involvement of the viewer - each of them will seem to find himself in the world of films by David Lynch and Guillermo del Toro, in which, at arm's length, a mystical action will unfold, full of hints and sensual temptations.

During the show, the audience, wearing masks to preserve their anonymity, is immersed in dramatic story mysterious family relations where each of the heroes keeps a heavy secret of the past. In each of the 50 rooms, an action will be played out in which two dozen actors skillfully mix energy contemporary theater and incredible choreography, cinematic visual aesthetics and spectacular special effects.

International team

"Returned" was the result of creative and trade union directed by Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti of the New York theater company Journey Lab and Russian producers Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov and Miguel, choreographer and mentor of the show "DANCES" on TNT.

“An immersive performance of this level was staged in Russia for the first time. In the work on the creation of the show, not only the dedication and professionalism of the team was extremely important, but also Newest technologies work with the audience and the experience of my American colleagues,” says show producer Miguel.

In early 2016, members of Journey Lab made a prequel production in New York - The Alving Estate. He referred viewers to events that took place two years before the action. classical play Ibsen. Tickets for the performance were sold out instantly, and the reaction of critics was more than favorable. After the success in Manhattan, Miguel invited Journey Lab to work in Moscow. And already in the spring of 2016, they began working together on the creation of the world premiere of The Returned in Russia.

“Working with Miguel was a huge success for us - together with his team we created a whole world with its own unique physical and moral laws,” says show director Victor Karina.

The rehearsals of the international team lasted six months - during this time all the participants became one family. Two dozen actors, day after day, immersed themselves in the world of their characters, modern choreography, learned to interact with the viewer face to face and mastered the unique training methods developed in JorneyLab.

Behind musical arrangement the show is answered by Therr Maitz leader Anton Belyaev, and the show's speakeasy bar will soon receive a special music program with the participation of Russian and foreign artists.

ghosts

"Ghosts" or "Ghosts" is a play by the Norwegian classic Henrik Ibsen, written exactly 135 years ago, in 1881. The plot is often compared by critics to a web of riddles. A certain house is preparing for a big event - at the expense of the widow of the venerable captain Alving, a shelter is to be opened in memory of her husband. On this occasion, relatives and old friends gather, but strange events and ghosts, as if returned from the past, tragically change the fate of all the characters.

The play instantly became popular in Europe and the USA, it is studied in schools and universities and staged on the stages of the world's leading theaters. In Russia, the fate of "Ghosts" from the very beginning was shrouded in mysticism: soon after the resounding success of productions by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vsevolod Meyerhold, it was banned and was not staged for decades.

Contemporaries recalled the unique solutions that Meyerhold used in the performance: "Oswald was dressed all in black for all three acts, while Regina's dress burned bright red - only a small apron emphasized her position as a servant." It was in Ghosts that Meyerhold first used his trademark "performance without a curtain."

In order to convey the atmosphere of Ibsen's play in our time, a team of artists, decorators and costume designers of the show recreated an interior that absorbed the spirit of the Nordic countries in a historic mansion of the 19th century.

Immersiveness

Immersive theater burst into the avant-garde contemporary art 20 years ago. The pioneers of the genre are the British Punchdrunk, whose main box office blockbuster, the show Sleep No More, has been running in New York for many years and is preparing for its premiere in Shanghai. At The McKittrick Hotel, an adventure awaits behind each new door: someone hides a murder weapon in the water, someone rips off their clothes, dances, or simply disappears through a secret door without a trace. Their London show The Drowned Man co-produced with National Theater also had great success.

The noisy conspirators from the group SecretCinema are holding their happenings all over the world, skillfully turning giant abandoned hangars and train stations into the scenery of cult films by Stanley Kubrick, Robert Zemeckis and George Lucas.

A few years ago, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, an immersive electric cabaret based on Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace, won a string of independent US theater awards, including the Obie as the best off-Broadway production of the year.

Aesthetes from the ThirdRail troupe stand a little apart - they work in the genre of chamber productions, the most successful of which was ThenSheFell based on the works of Lewis Carroll.

JorneyLab members stand out for their comprehensive approach: they not only put on unique interactive shows, but also involve public urban spaces in their performances, hold open master classes and are constantly open to collaborations, one of which resulted in the production of The Returned in Moscow.

The Moscow premiere immediately aroused great interest not only among the audience, but also among the professional community. "Returned" became the headliners of the program of one of the most prestigious theatrical reviews of the capital - the festival of the New European theater NET.

1. Ibsen himself pointed out that original name the play should be translated as "Those who returned", which is reflected in the Russian title of the show.
2. The play was banned by censors in Europe and Russia for decades for its "naturalism" and was first staged only in 1903.
3. Over 240 scenes take place during the show, 130 of them are absolutely unique. If you play all the lines of the performance in a row, it will go on for 9 hours, and for each of the spectators it will last about two and a half.
4. To create the show, the 1,300-square-meter mansion ran 15 kilometers of wires and installed several tons of hidden sound and lighting equipment.
5. Set designs for the Berlin production of "Ghosts" in 1906 were now created by one of the most dear artists peace Edvard Munch. In 2013, his famous "Scream" was sold at auction for a record $119 million.
6. VIP ticket holders will see an extended version of the show, have access to their own bar, and are guaranteed one of the "personal experiences" with the actors as part of the performance.
7. More than 900 artists from all over Russia took part in the castings, as a result, 31 artists participate in the project professional actor and dancer.
8. The premiere of the "Returned" teaser, which was not allowed to be shown on television due to explicit scenes, took place on Instagram and gathered an audience of more than 50 million people in the first day.
9. The authors of the teaser were director Yevgeny Timokhin and cameraman Yuri Korol, winner of the national Russian film award "Golden Eagle".
10. After 50 shows, The Returned will leave Russia for New York: in the spring, Jorney Lab will begin staging the American version of the show. Its premiere is scheduled for autumn 2017.

Address: Dashkov pereulok, 5 (metro Park Kultury)

Ticket price - 5000/30 000 rubles.

Age limit: 18+

Official website of the project: dashkov5.ru

mystical show"Returned", a project by YBW

Directed by: Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti (Journey Lab)

Producers: Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov and Miguel

Choreographer: Miguel

Producer: Timur Karimov

Composer: Anton Belyaev (TherrMaitz)

Executive producer: Alexander Nikulin

Creative producer: Anastasia Timofeeva

Creative Director: Mikhail Medvedev

Cast: Alexander Belogolovtsev, Tatyana Beloshapkina, Claudia Bochar, Varvara Borodina, Gleb Bochkov, Edward Brioni, Alexey Dyachkov, Yuri Kindrat, Igor Korovin, Andrey Kostyuk, Maria Kulik, Stepan Lapin, Ivan Mezhansky, Artem Nemov, Mikhail Polovenko, Maxim Ratiner , Evgeny Savinkov, Irina Semenova, Anastasia Sobachkina, Tatyana Timakova, Alexander Holtobin, Asya Chistyakova, Alexander Shulgin, Ksenia Shchudrina and others.

"Orgies, youth, death and morphine in the Dashkov mansion" - Harper's Bazaar.
"Dramatic action of the highest acting and directing level" - Business FM.
"The most spectacular theatrical show of the season" - Afisha.Daily.

On December 1, 2016, the world premiere of the mystical show "Returned" took place in Moscow. The action of the immersive performance based on Henrik Ibsen's play "Ghosts" takes place on four levels at once old mansion XIX century in the center of Moscow.

Modern immersive performance implies the complete involvement of the viewer: each of them seems to find himself in the world of films by David Lynch and Guillermo del Toro, in which, at arm's length, a mystical action will unfold, full of hints and sensual temptations.

During the show, the audience, wearing masks that preserve their anonymity, is immersed in a dramatic story of mysterious family relationships, where each of the characters keeps a heavy secret of the past. In each of the 50 rooms, an action is played out in which two dozen actors skillfully mix the energy of modern theater and incredible choreography, the visual aesthetics of cinema and impressive special effects.

INTERNATIONAL TEAM

"Returned" was the result of a creative and professional union of directors Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti from the New York theater company Journey Lab and Russian producers Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov and Miguel- choreographer and mentor of the show "DANCING" on TNT.

“An immersive performance of this level was staged in Russia for the first time. In the work on the creation of the show, not only the dedication and professionalism of the team was extremely important, but also the latest technologies for working with the audience and the experience of my American colleagues, ”says Miguel, producer of the show.

In early 2016, members of Journey Lab made a prequel production in New York - The Alving Estate. He referred the audience to the events that took place two years before the action of Ibsen's classic play. Tickets for the performance were sold out instantly, and the reaction of critics was more than favorable. After the success in Manhattan, Miguel invited Journey Lab to work in Moscow. And already in the spring of 2016, they began working together on the creation of the world premiere of The Returned in Russia.

“Working with Miguel was a huge success for us: together with his team, we created a whole world, with its own unique physical and moral laws,” says show director Victor Karina.

The rehearsals of the international team lasted six months, during which time all the participants became one family. Two dozen actors, day after day, immersed themselves in the world of their characters, engaged in modern choreography, learned to interact with the audience face to face and mastered the unique training methods developed at Jorney Lab.

Anton Belyaev, leader of Therr Maitz, is responsible for the musical arrangement of the show, and the show's speakeasy bar will soon receive a special musical program with the participation of Russian and foreign artists.

GHOSTS

"Ghosts", or "Ghosts" - a play by the Norwegian classic Henrik Ibsen, written exactly 135 years ago, in 1881. The plot is often compared by critics to a web of riddles. A certain house is preparing for a big event: at the expense of the widow of the venerable Captain Alving, an orphanage in memory of her husband is to be opened. On this occasion, relatives and old friends gather, but strange events and ghosts, as if returned from the past, tragically change the fate of all the heroes.

The play instantly became popular in Europe and the USA, it is studied in schools and universities and staged on the stages of the world's leading theaters. In Russia, the fate of "Ghosts" from the very beginning was shrouded in mysticism: soon after the resounding success of productions by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vsevolod Meyerhold, it was banned, and was not staged for decades.

Contemporaries recalled the unique solutions that Meyerhold used in the performance: “Oswald was dressed all in black for all three acts, while Regina’s dress burned bright red, only a small apron emphasized her position as a servant.” It was in Ghosts that Meyerhold first used his trademark "performance without a curtain."

In order to convey the atmosphere of Ibsen's play in our time, a team of artists, decorators and costume designers of the show recreated an interior that absorbed the spirit of the Nordic countries in a historic mansion of the 19th century.

IMMERSIVE

Immersive theater broke into the avant-garde of contemporary art twenty years ago. The pioneers of the genre are the British Punchdrunk, whose main box office blockbuster - the show Sleep No More - has been running in New York for many years and is preparing for its premiere in Shanghai. At The McKittrick Hotel, an adventure awaits behind each new door: someone hides a murder weapon in the water, someone rips off their clothes, dances, or simply disappears through a secret door without a trace. Their London show The Drowned Man, produced in association with the National Theatre, was also a great success.

The noisy conspirators from the Secret Cinema group are holding their happenings around the world, skillfully turning giant abandoned hangars and train stations into the scenery of cult films by Stanley Kubrick, Robert Zemeckis and George Lucas.

A few years ago, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, an immersive electric cabaret based on Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace, won a string of independent US theater awards, including the Obie as the best off-Broadway production of the year.

Aesthetes from the Third Rail troupe stand a little apart: they work in the genre of chamber productions, the most successful of which was Then She Fell based on the works of Lewis Carroll.

Jorney Lab members stand out for their integrated approach: they not only stage unique interactive shows, but also use public city spaces in their performances, conduct open master classes and are constantly open to collaborations, one of which resulted in the production of The Returned in Moscow.

The Moscow premiere immediately aroused great interest not only among the audience, but also among the professional community. "Returned" became the headliners of the program of one of the most prestigious theatrical reviews of the capital - the festival of the New European Theater NET.

INTERESTING FACTS

1. Ibsen himself pointed out that the original title of the play should be translated as "Those who returned", which was reflected in the Russian title of the show.
2. The play was banned for decades by censors in Europe and Russia for its "naturalism" and was first staged only in 1903.
3. More than 240 scenes take place during the show, 130 of them are absolutely unique. If you play all the lines of the performance in a row, it will go on for 9 hours, and for each of the spectators it will last about two and a half.
4. To create the show, 15 kilometers of wires were laid in the 1,300 square meter mansion and several tons of hidden sound and lighting equipment were installed.
5. Sketches of scenery for the Berlin production of "Ghosts" in 1906 were created by one of the most expensive artists in the world, Edvard Munch. In 2013, his famous "Scream" was sold at auction for a record $119 million.
6. VIP ticket holders will see an extended version of the show, have access to their own bar, and are guaranteed one of the "personal experiences" with the actors as part of the performance.
7. More than 900 artists from all over Russia took part in the castings, as a result, 31 professional actors and dancers participate in the project.
8. The Returned teaser, which was not allowed to be shown on television due to explicit scenes, premiered on Instagram and gathered an audience of more than 50 million people in the first day.
9. The authors of the teaser were director Yevgeny Timokhin and cameraman Yuri Korol - the owner of the national Russian film award "Golden Eagle".
10. After 50 shows, The Returned will leave Russia for New York: in the spring, Jorney Lab will begin staging the American version of the show. Its premiere is scheduled for autumn 2017.

Directed by: Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti (Journey Lab)
Producers: Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov and Miguel
Choreographer - Miguel
Producer - Timur Karimov
Composer - Anton Belyaev (Therr Maitz)
Executive producer - Alexander Nikulin
Creative producer - Anastasia Timofeeva
Creative Director - Mikhail Medvedev

Anna Kovaleva

14 min.

December 1, 2016 at Russian capital the world premiere of the new immersive performance "The Returned" took place. It's worth hurrying - after 50 performances in Moscow, the production will leave Russia and go to New York!

What happened?

On December 1, 2016, the world premiere of the new immersive performance "The Returned" took place in the Russian capital. Moscow is the first city whose residents got the opportunity to watch this mystical show. However, it’s worth hurrying - after 50 performances in the Mother See, the production will leave Russia and go to New York: in the spring, the ambitious directorial team of the young theater company Journey Lab begins rehearsals for the American version of the performance, which is scheduled to premiere in autumn 2017.

Who put on this mystical show?

The performance "Returned" is the result of a creative collaboration between young American directors Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti from the New York theater company Journey Lab and Russian producers Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov and Miguel, choreographer and mentor of the show "DANCES" on TNT. Sounds in the mansion classical music, the author of which was the composer and leader of the group Therr Maitz Anton Belyaev.

We met the directors of the production, Mia and Viktor, at the theater bar: at the very beginning, all viewers are invited to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the performance in a small speakeasy bar located in the basement of the mansion. Guests are gradually getting used to the twilight, and the expectation increases curiosity. However, you can return to the bar at any time during the action or stay there for a cocktail after the show to discuss what you saw with other viewers of the show. I was lucky: I discussed what I saw directly with those who own the idea and implementation of this project in Russia.

Why did Moscow become the place for the world premiere of the show?

In fact, the "Returned" ended up in Moscow thanks to a happy coincidence. An original idea to stage an immersive performance in New York based on the play "Ghosts" by the famous Norwegian Ibsen belongs to Viktor Karin (Journey Lab), although initially it was not about doing a project in Russia.

In order to stir up interest, prepare the American public for Ibsen and make a small "teaser" of the future performance, at the beginning of 2016 Journey Lab members Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti decided to stage a kind of prequel to the future production in New York. The play was released under the name The Alving Estate. The prequel sent everyone who came to the events that preceded the action of the classic play by the Norwegian playwright: it was important for the directors to show what underlies the characters' experiences and clearly demonstrate how events from the past affect the present. Tickets for the performance were sold out very quickly, and the reaction from critics was surprisingly positive. By a lucky chance (at least for the progressive theatrical audience of Moscow), Anastasia Timofeeva, the current creative producer of The Returned, turned out to be at this performance, who was very impressed by what she saw.

The idea to put on a large-scale immersive performance in Moscow had long been the choreographer Miguel, known to the Russian public for the popular TV project "Dancing" on TNT. Miguel has repeatedly visited the cult immersive show Sleep No More in New York and firmly decided to do something similar in Moscow. Together with TNT producer Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov, Miguel organized a meeting with young members of Journey Lab, the authors of The Alving Estate, and invited them to make a joint immersive project in Moscow. Already in the spring of 2016, active work began in the Russian capital on the creation of the world premiere of the mystical play The Returned.

What is an "immersive performance"?

Immersiveness (from the English. immersive - creating the effect of presence, immersion) is definitely one of the main trends in contemporary art. Immersive theater is no exception; it is a kind of natural outcome of several trends in progressive direction and in the field of popular urban leisure.

The main feature of an immersive performance is the ability to create the effect of complete immersion of the viewer in what is happening and involve him in the plot of the production. At any moment, the participants in the action can begin to interact directly with the audience - the actors can hug you, blindfold you, take you by the hand or take you to another room. Sometimes, in order to take the viewer out of his comfort zone, it’s enough just to look into his eyes for a long time. Distinctive feature immersive performances in that the audience ceases to be just observers in the auditorium and become full participants in the entire action. By the way auditorium in the world of immersive theater in the traditional sense of the word, there is no such thing as the action of the promenade theater develops simultaneously in several different locations at once.

In the case of The Returned, the play takes place in a mansion early XIX century in Dashkov lane in the center of Moscow. A team of talented decorators and costume designers managed to recreate an interior that has absorbed the spirit of the times. The house has four floors and about 50 rooms, each of which plays out an enchanting action that combines the energy of progressive theater, the visual aesthetics of cinema and amazing special effects.

How was the project going?

For six months, young American directors Victor Karina and Mia Zanetti worked in strict secrecy with Russian artists and taught them innovative immersive theater techniques. It is noteworthy that many of those involved in the production have never seen walk-in performances before.

The technique with which the directorial tandem of Victor and Mia works is widespread in the USA, but for Moscow it was a novelty. Actors were taught how to interact with people correctly - in the course of working on the project, the entire team performed whole line relaxation exercises. For example, one of the tasks for the artists was to lie down in the middle of the Moscow metro and calmly observe the reaction of passers-by.

Unlike the sensational immersive "Black Russian" by Maxim Didenko, in the play "The Returned" there are obviously no well-known media faces. At the casting, actors were recruited according to completely different criteria. Artists were evaluated based on how they control their bodies, how they interact with the crowd, how they look at passersby - they were looking for those from whom it is impossible to take their eyes off. For example, one of the tasks at the casting was to do something to make the actor want to follow. In total, more than 900 artists from all over the country took part in the casting for the show. We chose the best: 31 professional actors and dancers are involved in the project.

Interestingly, neither Mia nor Victor speak Russian. Although, by their own admission, it was not a problem. The main thing was to make sure that the acting was understandable, regardless of the language spoken by the characters.

What is at the heart of The Returned?

The show is based on the play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen "Ghosts" or "Ghosts", written back in 1881. For a long time the play was banned both in Europe and in Russia for its excessive "naturalism". For the first time, "Ghosts" were staged only in 1903. "Ghosts" is not a simple play, it is a bold and extremely social story about the collapse of the ethics of Protestantism, or rather about how mental suffering and throwing are hidden behind the facade of a very ideal life (at first glance).

Important preparations are underway in Mrs. Alving's house - in the near future they should open an orphanage built with the money of the widow of the venerable Captain Alving in memory of him. In honor of this, the captain's relatives and old friends of the family gather together, but mystical events and ghosts, as if returning from the past, tragically change the fate of the heroes of the play. Knowledge of the plot is a serious trump card in the hands of the viewer, who shoots in advance possible questions and allowing you to combine disparate episodes into a mosaic.

Ibsen himself said that the title of the play should be translated as "Those who returned", which by the way was reflected in the Russian title of the show. Interestingly, when the show leaves for the US, it will have a new name, presumably “Give me the sun” - this is one of the lines of Oswald, the son of the deceased captain.

Why are there so many explicit scenes in the show?

The show really has shocking explicit scenes at first (yes, the performance is 18+). Spoiler alert: don't miss the orgy that happens during the action. I missed, well, although, I must admit, I always miss all the orgies :)

Remember that the number of explicit scenes you see depends only on you. According to the creators of the project, the text of the original obliges frankness - many works by the Norwegian Ibsen are built around what is read between the lines and, as a rule, remains behind the scenes. The scenes of a sexual nature are not random: they highlight different moments in the history of each of the characters. For example, sensual scenes emphasize difficult life paths young Oswald and his father and help the viewer understand why and how the son inherited his father's lifestyle. So, frank scenes are designed to demonstrate how a person’s deepest desires can lead to dire consequences for himself.

The sexual elements are a kind of provocation. Frank scenes affect the viewer in a special psychological way, forcing him to forget about what seems forbidden, and look at the world with a fresh, open look, free from condemnation of other people. The authors of the project idea want all those who came to feel like some kind of ghosts at home in Dashkov Lane, who can watch the heroes at their moments of greatest weakness and vulnerability. Yes, frank sex scenes help the viewer to better understand what is going on in the soul of the characters and show the inner struggle of the characters deeper.

An interesting story happened with the "Returned" teaser. According to the organizers, Russian TV channels refused to broadcast the teaser of the show on TV, considering it too frank. So, the premiere of the teaser took place on the network in Instagrame. However, this did not stop the teaser from collecting more than 50 million views in the first day of broadcast.

So is it worth going to the show?

Definitely yes, but be prepared - it's a bold performance. "The Returned" is the first full-fledged immersive production in the tradition of the iconic theater team Punchdrunk, which laid the foundations of the world's immersive theater. The trend towards universal immersiveness is one of the most noticeable trends modern industry entertainment, but it seems that for the first time in Moscow the genre of the promenade theater was treated so thoroughly and approached so seriously. After the performance, the audience is left with an interesting aftertaste and a feeling of fascination with everything that happened. In the bar, after the performance, the audience shares their feelings with friends, comparing their experience of what they saw: memories of the mystical show are put together in a mosaic, like pieces of a puzzle. I want to return to the mysterious mansion on Dashkovo: there are too many unsolved mysteries left.

The premiere of "The Returned" aroused great interest not only among the audience, but also among the professional theater community in Moscow. The show became the headliner of the program of one of the most prestigious theatrical events in the capital - the festival of the New European Theater NET.
Well, yes, the performance will be shown only 50 times, and then they will be taken to the USA.

What should you do before watching?

1. Get acquainted with Ibsen's play. If you're familiar with the story and characters beforehand, you'll be able to really immerse yourself in the secrets of the house without trying to keep up with complex storylines. For context and immersion in the right atmosphere, you can watch several films by David Lynch and read about the strict mores of society in the late 19th century.

2. Get tickets for an earlier time (spectators come in 3 times). The earlier you arrive, the more time you have to explore everything. Spectators themselves determine the time they will spend in the house on Dashkovo. You can stay within the walls of the mansion for only an hour, but even three hours may not be enough to see everything. The space and decoration of the house is a completely self-sufficient museum European culture and life late XIX century (bravo to the artists Ruslan Martynov and Ivan Bout).

Looking at the scenery is by no means less exciting than following the progress of the play. The rules encourage the audience's curiosity: no one will mind if you read the letter that lies on the table, or rummage through the suitcase of one of the characters. You can try on Frau Alving's jewelry, you can sit at the dinner table with the heroes or watch closely how the actress preens and admires herself in front of the mirror.

3. Wear comfortable shoes without heels - get ready to walk a lot, and there are quite a few stairs in the house. Sometimes, in order to keep track of the characters, you even have to run.

4. Share with friends and don't set goals to see everything. This strategy will allow you to see a different set of episodes, and, rest assured, it will be more interesting to compare them afterward. Be sure to stop for a cocktail at the bar and discuss what you see with other viewers. As for different audience strategies, there are several options. You can choose the actor you like and follow him: this way you will become a witness to one, but a full-fledged storyline. Another behavioral tactic is to settle down in one of the many interesting locations, meeting and seeing off the characters who are brought here by the logic of the plot. If you are used to swimming against the current, then feel free to choose the path of a researcher: this is a great chance to examine all the numerous props of the house, read letters written in calligraphic handwriting, the content of which complements the replicas of the heroes of the production, and flip through the books that you will find on your way. It all depends on your desires and imagination.

5. Do not be afraid to be alone with the characters - the truth is more interesting that way. You should be curious all the time, you should not constantly follow the majority of the audience. Watching what is happening in the crowd of other spectators is not as interesting as exploring everything yourself. In the remote corners of the house, there are many secrets that are waiting to be revealed.

6. Be open. The more you bare your soul, the more you will get in return.

"Returned" is a unique performance that gives a sense of freedom and full involvement in what is happening. This is a bold theater where the main thing is not the spectacle, but personal dramatic experience.

The immersive show Returned, which premiered in Moscow on December 1, 2016, is being extended for a new season. Immersiveness is a new concept for the Russian public, it implies the complete immersion of the viewer in the action of the performance, the freedom of choice to independently determine their own path, build their own story and respond to what is happening. The format originated in New York. "Returned" is the first in Russia and only the fourth in the world successful project this genre, comparable in scale to the famous shows in New York and Shanghai. In the new season, the creators of the project, in their usual manner, have prepared new surprises for the sophisticated Moscow public. The acting team will be enriched by stars who will first undergo special trainings under the strict guidance of the creators and authors of the project. New faces in the acting team are called upon to reveal the plot twists and the meaning of the play by the Norwegian classic in a new way. The first to take part in the production that captivated the Moscow audience will be theater and film actress Kristina Asmus. On April 27 and 28, 2019, the show will be joined by talented actress Tatyana Babenkova is the star of the series "Policeman from Rublyovka" on the TNT channel. You will be able to appreciate the new reading of the role of Regina and once again immerse yourself in the exciting events taking place in the house of the Alvings. We look forward to seeing you at the show! Ticket categories: Entrance ticket Entrance to the theater is strictly 18+ and is possible only upon presentation of a passport. The barcode on the ticket can be presented from a mobile device or from a printed ticket. Exact time entry is indicated on the ticket. Entrance to the show is carried out by several groups, each of which enters at its own time. This is due to strict rules and instruction. Special offer Tickets for entry at 20:00 at a price of 3,500 rubles. (they differ in the entry time to the show). VIP ticket The holder of one of the 6 VIP tickets will be able to see an extended version of the show, guaranteed personal theatrical experience with the characters of the play, as well as access to a personal bar in Captain Alving's secret office. Jacob's Table You can book one of the 4 tables for two opposite the Ibsen Bar. The price of the reservation includes a privileged seat, 2 glasses of champagne and snacks. The reservation is valid from 18:30 until the end of the bar. Does not give the right to visit the Show. Journey through the House The owner of the only ticket for the evening will take a walk through the mansion, accompanied by one of the inhabitants. Only for you the House will reveal its secrets, inaccessible to others. Before purchasing this service, we recommend visiting the performance.

Before the start, viewers enter the waiting area, where there is a real bar, where you can have a drink and a snack before a difficult journey that threatens with emotional shock. After that, they are given masks and detailed briefing: do not take off the masks, be silent, do not touch anyone, but be prepared to be touched. "Returned" is a distilled immersive theater. So now in Russia it is customary to call all fashionable interactive productions. But in its purest form, such “immersiveness”, that is, immersion and involvement of the audience in what is happening, as it was conceived in America in the last century, we have, perhaps, not been shown before. That is, there were successful experiments, but here all the laws of the genre were observed almost for the first time to the last detail, as in the New York production of Sleep No More, exemplary for that kind of performances, from the famous British group Punchdrunk.

The producers of our show, Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov and the choreographer Miguel, decided to invite foreigners to stage the performance. The directors of The Returned are Americans who spent half a year in Moscow, accustomed our actors, and then us, the audience, to a new type of theater for our country. To do this, a mansion in the center of Moscow, where a bank with drywall used to be located, was completely vacated and brought to historical view, that is, they recreated the atmosphere of a mysterious house at the end of the century before last, where bad things happen on different floors. Spectators wearing masks and encouraged to walk through these living rooms, closets, laundry rooms and mysterious spaces, they must explore the space themselves. And this is where the very ideal immersiveness is manifested, when no one leads the audience by the hand, they decide for themselves where to go, for which storyline keep track of which hero to join. That is, complete freedom is provided, from which many viewers may even become uncomfortable and unpleasant, because it is in the psychology of our people that they are led somewhere and by someone. And here you have to do it yourself, real democracy.

Various scenes take place inside the house for three hours, the characters of Ibsen's play wander around the rooms, then join at one point, for example, in the dining room, where the main action takes place, as in a real psychological theater. At the same time, the viewer can simply wander randomly, there are even many hidden rooms and labyrinths. You can find something interesting for yourself, spy on the heroes, living and dead, observe quite explicit scenes, for example, for young people who indulge in an orgy in the laundry room (all this is a spectacular choreographic scene that can remind erotic scene from the Titanic, thanks to misted windows). But you have to be prepared, because someone can suddenly grab your hand, take you somewhere to a separate place, blindfold .... But I will not give out all the secrets of this mansion, for example, this interaction happened to me, and it was very unusual, which is what I wish you.

The most rational move for the viewer is to choose any character and follow him. For the late captain Alving, the mistress of the house Fru Alving, or their son Oswald who arrived from Paris, or for the maid Regina, who turns out to be a noble lady and illegitimate daughter that same dissolute captain, who turned out to be not at all pious, but quite a dubious person. But for me personally, the most interesting figure is the rather dissolute pastor Manders, who experiences his sinfulness very emotionally, which is worth one scene of his sexual act with a picture depicting a naked woman. In general, this story is about lust and morality, about what Ibsen wrote. This is a performance about skeletons in the closet that haunt, about the secrets of the past, which result in hereditary sins, suffering and illness. About the fact that nothing goes unnoticed. It is precisely about these ghosts and returnees that the mother of the family correctly speaks in one key monologue: “This is something outdated, like ghosts, from which I can’t get rid of ... all sorts of old obsolete concepts, beliefs and the like. All this no longer lives in us, but still sits so firmly that we cannot get rid of it. And, indeed, you will have to answer for everything. And the vice is nearby, And who does not have this? And every viewer should definitely feel it.

At least, the audience themselves become participants in this show, and it is precisely this that the ghosts, who shyly spy on all this and inevitably project what is happening on their inner experiences, may even be revealed. Such a good session of psychoanalysis. Because, indeed, it is better to go through all this alone, from beginning to end. Only in this way you can feel everything to the end, maybe understand your ghosts. Try it, experience it for yourself. "Returned" in Dashkov lane. But do not forget that this is not some kind of attraction or simple entertainment, everything here is much more emotional and, of course, it can hurt your nerves.