Review: "A Hero of Our Time"

Based on the Russian classic of the same title by Mikhail Lermontov, Endla Theatre’s production "A Hero of Our Time"("Герой нашего времени") reached the public at the beginning of November last year. At the hands of the Latvian director Galina Polišuk, the timeless story has once again been blown to life.

„A Hero of Our Time“ is a story about a young, charismatic officer Petšorin who has lost all joy in life. Although he seems to have everything one would want from the world – the ladies, good looks,  fortune, social skills and contacts– Petšorin still fails to entertain himself. No woman nor life-threatening risk can bring up any emotions in the restless soul that resides in the young man’s body. The ultimate struggle is brilliantly portrayed by the talented Estonian actor Priit Loog, and together with his well-cast co-stars Kati Ong, Karin Tammaru and Tambet Seling, the stage is filled with lust, passion, heartbreak and betrayal.

Besides the great acting and obvious chemistry between the characters, the play also features some striking stage design. What might seem like a pile of trash at first sight turns out to be a mountain of clever artistic solutions, in my opinion. The scenic designer, Aigars Ozolinši, also visiting form Latvia, has found a compelling way to contribute to the portrayal of the mess in the main character’s head with his setting, which also proves to be very multi-functional throughout the play. To me, the whole technical production team has done a wonderful job – the music is spot-on, the costumes well-thought-out and the lighting quite nifty.

All in all, „A Hero of Our Time“ features on many different levels of art and binds them together in an entirety. If you enjoy good acting and metaphoric approaches, then this play is definitely something for you.