Showing 1-14 of 14 results
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Akimova Comedy Theatre
Housed inside the incredible Eliseevsky building, this is a great place to see contemporary and classic comedies, including works by Neil Simon, Oscar Wilde and Mikhail Bulgakov.
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Alexandrinsky Theatre
Formerly the Pushkin State Drama Theatre, this magnificent venue is just one part of an immaculate architectural ensemble designed by Carlo Rossi. The theatre's interior oozes 19th-century elegance and style, and it's worth taking a peek even if you don't see a production here. This is where Anton Chekhov premiered The Seagull, which was pretty much universally hated by the public and critics alike. These days, the company has a huge repertoire, ranging from Russian folktales to Shakespeare.
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Avrora
Opening in 1913 as the Piccadilly Picture House, this was the city's most fashionable cinema in the early years of Russian film, and it has retained its position pretty consistently ever since. Renamed the more Soviet-sounding Avrora in 1932, it was here that a young Dmitry Shostakovich played piano accompaniment to silent movies. Today it's one of the best cinemas in town, and most premieres (to which you can nearly always buy tickets) take place here.
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Baltic House
Known under the Soviets as Lenin Konsomol Theatre, this large venue has long hosted an annual festival of plays from the Baltic countries. Renamed in 1991, Baltic House also stages Russian and European plays, as well as a new and growing repertoire of experimental theatre.
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Bolshoy Drama Theatre
Named for acting pioneer Georgi Tovstonogov, the BDT became the city's most innovative and exciting theatre under his direction between the 1960s and the 1980s. His 1957 staging of Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot is still remembered as one of the peaks of Soviet theatre. Unfortunately, when Tovstonogov died in 1989, a suitable replacement was not found. As such, the theatre company has not really progressed since that time.
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Dom Kino
This cinema shows arty Russian and foreign films, as well as some higher brow Hollywood productions. It is also where the British Council holds its British Film Festival. Under renovation at the time of research, the whole place remains remarkably Soviet in a charming way.
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Feel Yourself Russian
Terrible title, but not a bad show of traditional Russian folk dancing and music. The two-hour show features four different folk groups, complete with accordion, balalaika and Cossack dancers. It is worth attending to get a look inside the spectacular Nikolaevsky Palace, if nothing else.
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Jam Hall On Leninsky
The second of two Jam Halls, come here to partake in a luxury cinema-going experience - in Russian.
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Jam Hall On Petrogradsky
Now this is the kind of place that could never have existed in 20th-century Russia. An old palace of culture has been transformed into a luxury cinema-going experience. With plush sofa-style seating, tables for your drinks and a well-stocked bar on site, this is the future - and we like it. Pity it mainly shows Hollywood blockbusters dubbed into Russian.
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Komissarzhevskaya Theatre
Now buried in Tikhvin Cemetery, Vera Fedorovna Kommisarzhevskaya was a great St Petersburg actress who gained her reputation as leading lady in Vsevolod Meyerhold performances. In the early years of the 20th century, Kommisarzhevskaya founded an acting troupe that performed in the Passage concert hall, staging plays by all of the famous playwrights of the day, including Mikhail Gorky and Anton Chekhov. Revived in the midst of the Siege, the theatre was renamed in honour of the great actress.
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Lensovet Theatre
The LenSovet is among the more versatile theatre companies in town, staging performances of classical favourites as well as bold new experiments. Director Vladislav Pazi has received excellent reviews for his renditions of - among others - A King, a Queen and a Jack, based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov, and Lovely Sunday for a Picnic by Tennessee Williams.
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Maly Drama Theatre
Also called the Theatre of Europe, the Maly is St Petersburg's most internationally celebrated theatre. Its director Lev Dodin is famed for his long version of Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Devils, which toured the world to great acclaim. He also got rave reviews for his version of Anton Chekhov's Play Without a Name, a superb mise en scène production that is sometimes subtitled in English for visitors during summer.
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Priyut Komedianta Theatre
This delightful theatre's name means 'the actor's shelter' and it does a pretty good job of fulfilling its role, providing refuge for some of the city's best up-and-coming directors and producers. It was founded by actor Yury Tomashevsky in the late 1980s, when the city turned over a defunct cinema that the group still uses.
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Yusupov Palace Theatre
Housed inside the outrageously ornate Yusupov Palace, this elaborate yet intimate venue was the home entertainment centre for one of the city's foremost aristocratic families. While you can visit the theatre when you tour the palace, seeing a performance here is a treat, as you can imagine yourself the personal guest of crazy Prince Felix himself. The shows are a mixed bag - usually a 'Gala Evening' that features fragments of various Russian classics.
Showing 1-14 of 14 results
