THEATRE

THEATRE

based on the novel of the same name by Somerset Maugham

Stage adaptation and direction:

Boyka Velkova

Scenography:

Chavdar Guzelov

Costume design:

Tsetsa Ivailova

Music:

Theodosii Spassov

Choreography:

Tatyana Sokolova

CAST:

Boyka Velkova, Irinei Konstantinov, Daniel Varbanov, Vyara Tabakova, Martin Dimitrov, Kire Giorevski, Alexandra Svilenova, Vladislava Nikolova, Nadya Keranova, Aneta Ivanova, Stefan Kashev and Slavina Markova
With the special participation of Vladimir Penev (voice).

Somerset Maugham’s novel Theatre was published in 1937. In it, the author portrays a world that was, to a large extent, his own – in addition to being a novelist and short story writer, Maugham was also a playwright, and a successful one, particularly in his early years as a writer. He was intimately familiar not only with the glittering surface of theatre and acting but also with the less flattering side of what happens behind the curtains and in the dressing rooms: rivalry, intrigues, vanity, and egotism. The title is unequivocal – here, of course, the central theme is theatre, but theatre in a broader sense: both as stage art and as a social mask. Julia Lambert, the uncrowned queen of the London stage, is a true embodiment of Shakespeare’s line “All the world’s a stage...”. She is always playing a role, whether on stage or off, though perhaps she has never fully realized it – until the moment her son Roger asks her whether the “real” Julia even exists.

Somerset Maugham’s novels undoubtedly rank among the literary masterpieces of the 20th century. His brilliant style – marked by unexpected twists, wit, insight, and irony – makes his works truly addictive. The same holds entirely true for Theatre.

Dramaturg:

Anelia Yaneva

Assistant director:

Irina Ivanova

Poster designer:

Nikolai Dimitrov NAD

Photographer:

Petko Mavrodiev

Premiere: October 18 & 19, 2025