Henrik Ibsen Brands is considered to be one of the most complex works in the history of world drama, staged this time at Dailes Theater, putting forward bold settings of the director. In the new production by Viesturs Kairis, the role of Brand is assigned to a woman. Branda is played by actress Ieva Segliņa in the show.
Director Viesturs Kairišs: “Brand challenges anyone and everyone. But who will challenge Brand? Brand challenges God, we challenge the cultural canon of Latvia and the history of the Daile Theater. But if we forget the cultural context, isn’t it time to listen to Brand’s words again? How do they sound? today?”
“You will be forgiven if you couldn’t, but not forever if you didn’t want to…” – says Henrik Ibsen Brands. Not only the main character of the play lives without compromise, but it is required of anyone who wants to stage the play. Life is the only bet worth playing, according to Brands – the young idealist, the pastor created by Henrik Ibsen. Fine arts Brand in the new version, he is no longer just a cleric, but a prophet of a new era and a new way of thinking. And he is a woman. Today, fanatics not only preach the message of God, they are talk show hosts, radical politicians and insane ideologues. They are able to inspire and even convince people to follow. When they got new revelations – to destroy everything again. In a new, modern translation and a special adaptation for this production Brands returns to the Daile Theater stage.
“When adapting the dramatic poem of the literary classic Henrik Ibsen to the reality of the 21st century, the biggest challenge was to find answers to the questions of who and what would be the most uncompromising idealist characteristic of the western society at the moment, and how the laziness characteristic of modern society manifests itself, which such a character would like to blame for it,” about the new production is said by playwright Justíne Kļava.
of 2023 Brand the cast includes two actors from the legendary production – Juris Strenga, who plays Veco Branda, and Olga Dreģe, who, together with Lidija Pupuri, plays twins in Viestura Kairiš’s production. In the show Brands a wide cast of actors from Daile Theater will be seen on stage: Lilita Ozoliņa, Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Katrīna Griga, Lauris Dzelzītis, Vita Vārpiņa, Āirts ķesteris, Anete Krasovska, Klāvs Kristaps Koshins, Milena Miškēviča, Artis Robežnieks, Dainis Gaidelis, Aldis Siliņš, Darta Daneviča , a special role and duty of the cameraman in the production also for the movement artist Rudolf Gediņas.
The creative team of the show: scenographer – Ieva Jurjāne, costume designer – Baiba Litiņa, choreographer – Jana Jacukas, playwright – Justīne Kļava, lighting designer – Yevgēnijs Gansburgs. The play was translated from Norwegian by Edvins Raup. The original music for the play was created by composer Jēkabs Jančevskis, and this is his debut writing music specifically for a theater performance.
Art theater and director Arnolda Liniņa Brand the production is legendary and included in the cultural canon of Latvia. In the title role of the 1975 production, the actors of the Daile Theater, Juris Strenga and Harijs Liepiņš, doubled. Kārlis Auškāps, scenographer Ilmārs Blumbergs, movement director Modris Tenysons and composer Raimonds Pauls joined together to create one performance. Theater scholars are certain that the production is the pinnacle of Latvian theater – some claim that of European theatre.
