The Stranger — Šamil Hamatov’s One-Man Show

Šamil Hamatov in the production “The Stranger,” based on a work by Albert Camus.

What happens to someone who does not want to live by society’s rules? Is it possible to remain yourself when others expect you to feel, behave and react in certain ways?

The one-man show “The Stranger” is based on a play by Mikhail Durnenkov, inspired by Albert Camus’ world-famous novel of the same name. At its centre is a man who gradually becomes a stranger to everyone around him. He does not try to meet others’ expectations or pretend to be someone he is not, and seems to exist outside conventional ideas of justice, good and evil.

The protagonist faces a society that tries to explain his behaviour, judge him by its own standards and ultimately condemn him. But is a person guilty of experiencing the world differently from others? Where does inner freedom end and loneliness begin?

“The Stranger” continues a theatre project initiated by director Yuri Butusov. The production was created by his student Maya Dorozhenko, whose work carries forward her teacher’s artistic legacy.

Please note: The event is in Russian.