Tin and Gold

A theatrical-poetic collage based on the works of Joseph Brodsky.

The performance reflects on the era of crises beginning in the 1980s and refers to a 19th-century historical decree of the Russian government: the domes of churches in the capital, Saint Petersburg, were to be covered not with genuine gold leaf but with a material imitating its shine. Instead of real gold, paint based on tin sulfide was used to create a similar glow. Within five or six years, however, the coating faded into a grayish-green hue — a process accelerated by the swampy atmosphere of Saint Petersburg.

The one-man show “Tin and Gold” explores not only the relationship between Joseph Brodsky and Saint Petersburg but also the theme of changing “islands”: Vasilyevsky and Manhattan as symbols of shifting power and empires.

Brodsky’s texts unfold as a dramatic poetic “performance.” At the same time, four puppets participate in the stage action, each expressing its own reflections on everyday life and the meaning of existence. The theatrical evening can thus be described as a “buffoon drama with entrances and tricks, wanderings and deceptions.”

The tightly stretched narrative of the presentation suddenly softens into Petersburg lyricism, allowing a distinction between “kitchen philosophy” and philosophical buffoonery. Only through tremendous effort — primarily through the clown’s expressive performance — do the parallel actions (buffoonish and domestic, personal and collective) avoid collapsing into complete absurdity.

The theatre attempts to follow Brodsky’s symbolic journey from one empire to another — from the Moscow Art Theatre to Manhattan.

🎭 Clown: Grigory Kofman
🍳 “Kitchen”: puppets supported by Grigory Kofman
⏳ Duration: 70 minutes