The Elder Son (Vampilov, at Kabare Buff)

About

A staging at Kabare Buff of The Elder Son (Starshiy Syn), the 1970 comedy by Alexander Vampilov — one of the defining voices of late-Soviet Russian theatre. The play is described here as 'a fairy-tale for adults with a happy ending' — a formula that captures its combination of specific late-Soviet realism and slightly implausible structural sweetness. The core question of the play — how ordinary people behave in difficult circumstances, whether they respond with sympathy and generosity or with self-preservation — is handled without moralising. Signature Kabare Buff production values: small cast, close audience, live music. In Russian; language-heavy dialogue-driven drama.