Imaginary Invalid

16+

2 hours 50 minutes with 1 intermission

Silviu Purcarete, an outstanding Europien director, born in 1950 in Bucharest, studied stage direction there at the Theatre Academy. His first professional works were staged after Shakespeare, Goldoni, Euripide, Plaute. In the Teatrul Mic in Bucharest he directed “The Madwoman of Chaillot” by Jean Giraudoux, “The Devil and the Good Lord” by Jean-Paul Sartre, “Richard III” by William Shakespeare. In the National Theatre of Craiova he produced “Titus Andronicus’ by Willliam Shakespeare, “Phaedra” after Euripides and Seneca. These shows were often invited to various stages all over the world: Tokyo, Melbourne, Edinburgh, Montreal, Munich, Vienna, Glasgow, London etc.

Silviu Purcarete often works in different countries and usually choses Aeschylus, Shakespeare and  Boccaccio.

In 1996 he was appointed by the French Minister for Culture to lead the Union Theatre — a national dramatic centre in France (Limoges).  In 1997 he established the Union Theatre Academy, a training centre for young actors.

In Limoges Silviu Purcarete directed “The Orestia” by Aeschylus, “Three Sisters” by Anton Chekhov, “Don Giovanni” by Jean-Baptiste Moliere. During the same period on other stages he directed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (in Oslo), “Winter’s Tale” (in Bergen), “The Bacchantes” (in Vienna, Burgtheater).

Silviu Purcarete often acts as opera director.

His performances of “Faust” by Goethe, “Les Fourberies de Scapin” by Moliere, “The Metamorphoses” by Ovid, “Exit the King” by Ionesco, “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles, “The Tempest” by Shakespeare were represented at lots of theatre festivals in Romania, in France, in the UK, in Luxembourg, in Germany.  “Faust” was invited in 2009 to the Edinburg Festival and was a great international success.

Silviu Purcarete has been awarded several prizes, among them are the Peter Brook Prize for the best staging, the awards of theatre festivals in  Edinburg and Montreal.

Silviu Purcarete is a personal member of the UTE (the Union of the Theatres of Europe) since 2003. He has been decorated as Chevalier des Arts at des Lettres by the French government.

The Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre of Russia has invited Silviu Purcarete to direct “The Imaginary Invalid” by Jean-Baptiste Moliere.

The first performance of this play by Molierewas in Paris in 1673, more then 3 centuries ago in Palais Royal Theatre. Jean-Baptiste Moliere performed Argan. Since than the play has a magnificent line of performances all over the world.

“The Imaginary Invalid” is regarded by genre as a comedy-ballet with comic scenes and a great opportunity for imagination. It definitely has some signs of Italian Comedy del Arte. The theatre of Moliere is usually a festival, a wise irony, a bright smile.

The first night of the show is scheduled to the beginning of the new theatre season (2016 – 2017)  – the 96th for the Vakhtangov Theatre.

Main Stage

  • 1 December, Sunday, 19:00

  • 3 January, 2025, Friday, 19:00

  • Ticket price: from 350 to 4000 rub.

Premiere was on 12 September 2016