Eifman Ballet’s Russian Hamlet closes Bangkok festival before a full house

Boris Eifman’s ballet company performed Russian Hamlet to a full auditorium at the Thailand Cultural Centre in Bangkok, closing the city’s international dance and music festival, an attending RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

The performance formed part of the Russian Culture Ministry’s Russian Seasons programme. Thai spectators made up most of the audience, joined by diplomats and foreign residents. Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, attended, and the royal anthem was played before the performance.

Created in 1999 and revived in a new production in 2017, Russian Hamlet explores the youth of the future Emperor Paul I. Its stage narrative centres on his relationship with his mother, Catherine II, the death of his father, Peter III, and the struggle for the throne.

The company also brought The Pygmalion Effect on this tour. German Gureyev, its deputy director for touring and external relations, told the agency that the contrasting productions were selected in consultation with the festival and Russian Seasons organisers. He said Eifman wanted audiences to see different facets of his work.

Gureyev said spectators responded both to the physical humour of the tragicomic Pygmalion Effect and to Paul’s tragic story. He recalled the warm reception for Anna Karenina during the company’s previous visit in 2023.

Bangkok entrepreneur Laksana Wichienphanitphak, who saw both current productions, told RIA Novosti that the blend of classical technique and contemporary dance encouraged empathy with the characters. She has attended Russian ballet performances in Bangkok for about 25 years and also saw Anna Karenina there.

Principal dancer Vladimir Afonichkin, who performed Paul’s role, described the added physical demands of the warm, humid climate. He said dancers tire more quickly during rehearsals and performances, but the cultural centre’s air conditioning helps.