The Gambler

On September 2 and 3, the world premiere of the ballet The Gambler by the Sevastopol State Opera and Ballet Theatre will take place in the Grand Hall of the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. The ballet based on the novel of the same name by Fyodor Dostoevsky will reveal for the first time the famous work of Russian classics in a large-scale choreographic rendition. The project is supported by the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives.

The Gambler ballet continues the line of dramatic performances of the Sevastopol State Opera and Ballet Theatre, inspired by outstanding works of world literature. After the successful productions of Wuthering Heights based on the novel by Emily Bronte and Polikushka based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy, the theatre turns to the work of Dostoevsky, whose works reveal the complexity of human character, inner choice and the power of passions.

The Gambler is one of Fyodor Dostoevsky's most autobiographical works. Written in an unusually short time, the novel incorporated the writer's personal experience of being addicted to roulette. However, the story of the main character Alexei goes far beyond the plot of gambling. This is a reflection on human passions and moral choices, about love and hope, about freedom, which people are sometimes unable to control, and about the price they have to pay for their own delusions. The production is choreographed by Johnna Paul Cook, who is already well known to the Russian public from the productions of Wuthering Heights and Polikushka.

The ballet Wuthering Heights, created by him for the Sevastopol State Opera and Ballet Theatre, became the winner of the Russian National Theatre Award “Golden Mask” in the category “Contemporary Ballet”. In his new work, the choreographer once again combines classical academic dance with contemporary stage movement, creating an expressive choreographic language capable of conveying the most subtle psychological states of the characters.

The musical dramaturgy of the performance consists of a specially selected score from works by foreign composers. The music director of the production and the conductor is Artem Abashev.

The production's set design was created by set designer Olga Skurikhina. The lighting solution belongs to Andrey Kostyuchenkov. The costumes created by the Alena Akhmadullina Fashion House occupy a special place in the production. A contemporary artistic interpretation of the historical era becomes an important part of the performance's visual image, combining 19th-century aesthetics with contemporary theatrical language.

The main parts will be performed by Dmitry Sobolevsky (Alexei), Ksenia Ryzhkova (Polina), Valeriya Sobolevskaya (Blanche), Evgeny Dubrovsky (Englishman), Vladislav Lantratov (Frenchman), People's Artist of Russia Maria Alexandrova (Babulenka) and Honoured Artist of Russia Alexei Lubimov (The General). Dilyara Idrisova (soprano), Vadim Volkov (countertenor) and Ilyas Nevretdinov (trumpet) will also take part in the performance.

The Gambler ballet is a large-scale musical and choreographic canvas in three acts, in which dance becomes the language of the inner world of the characters. The story of people trapped in their own desires unfolds on the stage, where love, ambition, greed and hope are intertwined in a continuous game of chance. The roulette world is becoming a metaphor for human life, in which every decision you make changes your fate.