In a dimly lit alcove, a young man in his nightwear is lying nonchalantly on a large bed with disheveled sheets, Oblomov, a young Russian aristocrat from Saint Petersburg.
At his bedside, Zakhar Trofymitch, his old and faithful servant.
The former, talkative, constantly reprimands the latter, phlegmatic and imperturbable, making him responsible for his setbacks.
Settling debts, answering a love letter, Oblomov, all in his apathy, invariably puts off until tomorrow.
Oblomov is the title of Goncharov’s novel published in 1859, whose eponymous character has become a mythical figure, just like Don Juan. We even speak of “Oblomovism”, a word that has entered the language to designate the dreamy and indecisive laziness, particular to the Russian temperament.
What is the point of getting up, washing, getting dressed? But what is this state of lethargy, of inertia that translates into a horror of work and decision-making? A response to a world devoid of meaning?
An attitude specific to the Slavic soul?
We think of Seneca and Russell, who both wrote “In Praise of Idleness” at very different times. A nasty flaw or an opening to other attitudes worthy of interest?
A funny and moving duo that, little by little, reveals the feelings that each protagonist cultivates towards each other, between annoyance and tenderness, submission and paternal attention.
Actors with precise and convincing acting in an intimate production that immediately delights and relaxes. We let ourselves go, carried along by the flow of words, languidly languishing in our armchair.
Text by LM Formentin after Ivan Gontcharov
Directed by Jacques Connort
Théâtre des Vents in Avignon
From June 29 to July 21, 2024
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