photo by Sasha Zamyatin
Joke
01
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About the project
In "Joke," we immerse ourselves in a world of glitter and vibrant hues, lightly and eagerly laughing at our past selves and fantasies we hold about ourselves in the future.
"Joke" stands as an anti-totalitarian cabaret, exploring how funny it could be at a start, how incredibly cruel it becomes, how easily one can cross the line of what's acceptable, and ultimately, how it ceases to be funny.
The cabaret draws from the works of the Soviet era Russian-language authors, incorporating songs by and about Gulag prisoners, along with selections from "emigrant classics." It blends the character of the renowned Dina Vierni with the cabaret host, business coach Dina Viernisebya, juxtaposing Soviet classics with Valery Meladze's tunes — simultaneously hilarious and chilling.
"Joke" stands as an anti-totalitarian cabaret, exploring how funny it could be at a start, how incredibly cruel it becomes, how easily one can cross the line of what's acceptable, and ultimately, how it ceases to be funny.
The cabaret draws from the works of the Soviet era Russian-language authors, incorporating songs by and about Gulag prisoners, along with selections from "emigrant classics." It blends the character of the renowned Dina Vierni with the cabaret host, business coach Dina Viernisebya, juxtaposing Soviet classics with Valery Meladze's tunes — simultaneously hilarious and chilling.
02
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The show debuted
The show debuted in Saint Petersburg in October 2020, and in September 2023, Fulcro presented the Israeli rendition of the show at the Tmu-na Theatre.
03
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Alisa Khvorostyan, "The Flying Critic" :
"If the poignant 'Flowers' embodies the essence of a classic and deeply societal German cabaret, the humorous 'Joke' evokes more of a variety show, characterized by its lightness and gusto. However, despite the shift in tone, the central theme persists — the human. The second cabaret seamlessly follows the first; in the harrowing era described by the characters in 'The Flowers,' all that's left is to joke, even if provocatively and weirdly."
04
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Cast and crew
Cabaret singer — Nastya Gordymanova
Hostess — iconic Dina Viernusebya
Actors: Alya Goldman, Grisha Katsenelson, Anya Grinfield, Anya Fridman, Daria Repina, Polina Pakhomova, Ruslan Barabanov
Director: Dasha Shamina
Script: Fulcro
Producers: Sonya Gromova, Anya Ginzburg, Liza Shkolnik
Musical supervisor: Zhenya Natanova
Costumes: Lenny Frau Blau
Sound engineer: Andrey Mirny
Light design: Ilya Gerchikov, Alexey Filimonov
Scaffold by Hungry Artists Project
Translation into Hebrew: Polina Brukman
Hostess — iconic Dina Viernusebya
Actors: Alya Goldman, Grisha Katsenelson, Anya Grinfield, Anya Fridman, Daria Repina, Polina Pakhomova, Ruslan Barabanov
Director: Dasha Shamina
Script: Fulcro
Producers: Sonya Gromova, Anya Ginzburg, Liza Shkolnik
Musical supervisor: Zhenya Natanova
Costumes: Lenny Frau Blau
Sound engineer: Andrey Mirny
Light design: Ilya Gerchikov, Alexey Filimonov
Scaffold by Hungry Artists Project
Translation into Hebrew: Polina Brukman
05
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