(Rīgas Dailes Teātris, 12 December 2025)
Every now and again, when one thinks nothing is left to be invented in theatre, a production comes along that shatters the status quo and sets the tone for theatre for decades to come. This is one of those productions. In this production, camerawork is not a gimmick, a distraction, or a way to save on a painted backdrop. And it is good.
Acting is good. Every character is meticulously crafted. Every actor is convincing. Ieva Segliņa shines, and so do Artūrs Skrastiņš, Arturs Krūzkops, Madara Viļčuka, and Niklāvs Kurpnieks.
The production is staged like a ballet, expansively, meticulously, in CinemaScope. Every remark is perfectly timed. Every musical number is interrupted perfectly.
Harold Bloom used to say: “The only method is yourself.” He was referring to literary criticism. The same maxim applies to morals. The self is the ultimate authority on what is moral. Following one's cultivated moral tastes is the best one can do. A life lived to cater to one's tastes is the only moral life there is.
