Visual Theatre Odyssey about Exile, Memory, and the Search for Home
KTO TAM?
4 COUPS DE CŒUR — AVIGNON OFF 2025. Created & Performed by Igor Mamlenkov | Directed by Kostya Novitskiy
ABOUT
In the silence of an abandoned house, a presence awakes. It is neither a ghost nor a man, but Domovoi — the invisible Guardian of the Home. Condemned to immortality, he is left alone when the family that he took care of departs, fleeing for a better life. How does one maintain a feeling of home when there is no one left to care for? In a desperate attempt to keep the memory alive, he engages in a dialogue with old objects, transforming pain into poetry. A broken guitar becomes a balalaika; a dusty coat becomes a lover’s embrace.
"KTO TAM?" (WHO IS THERE?) is a 60-minute non-verbal tragicomedy that explores the universal themes of exile and resilience. Rooted in the visual tradition of Slavic visual and poetic physical theatre, it is a tender and absurd journey into the heart of solitude.
INFO & GENRE
Audience: Family & International (Ages 6+)
Duration: 60 minutes
Language: None (Gibberish, Universal visual language)
A physical theatre piece that fuses movement, object manipulation, and atmospheric storytelling to create a multi-layered experience suitable for diverse cultural contexts.
PRODUCTION
Imagined, created & played by Igor Mamlenkov
Directed & Light design by Kostya Novitskiy
Soundtrack & Technician - Danilo Gervasoni
Clown coach by Xavier Bouvier
Original music by Luiz Murà, Alatiel
Produced by Domovoi Theatre Company (CH). Supported by Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Oertli Foundation, and Pro Helvetia (Danish Tour 2025). Since 2020, the show has already been touring in Switzerland, France (Festival Off Avignon 2025), Denmark, Germany, Italy, Macedonia, Russia, Uganda. For upcoming tournées, visit this page.
KTO TAM? trailer
The video was filmed by Edith van Elzen at Sommerwerft Festival, Germany (2024) and by Andrea Ferrari at Teatro Foce, Lugano, CH (2024). Edited by Dima Novitskiy.
For bookings, - domovoishow@gmail.com
KTO TAM?
PRESS
OFF AVIGNON 2025 : 4 COUPS DE CŒUR (VivantMag, Vaucluse Matin, WebThéâtre, Culture Avignon)
L'humanité est entière contenue dans KTO TAM... Une œuvre profondément originale." — Vaucluse Matin
"Un théâtre sensoriel qui touche à l'universel." — La Provence
LE LIRE ICI LA PRESSE D'AVIGNON OFF 2025
•Off 2025• "Kto tam ?" Un seul en scène interprété avec grande maîtrise de l'art de la pantomime et douce poésie (2025)
#avignonoff2025 #festivaloffavignon #festivalavignonoff
LE LIRE ICI
FESTIVAL TERRITORI, BELLINZONA, SWITZERLAND (2024)
“Piacevolmente poetico ci è parso lo spettacolo di apertura “Chi è là “dove il clown russo Igor Mamlenkov interpreta lo spiritello Domovoi, che, entrato in una casa dove i suoi abitanti se ne sono andati, se ne impossessa dello spirito, ridonandoci il sapore di ognuno di loro. Ogni personaggio rivive in scena, attraverso modi sapientemente buffi, che solo la clownerie è capace di donarci, con un cane di Peluche, due lampadari e altri oggetti dimenticati che hanno in loro però il pregio del ricordo.” - MARIO BIANCHI
FESTIVAL MAGGIOLINO, Lugano, CH
The theatre review article titled "Maggiolino number 11: a successful challenge" written in Italian by Manuela Camponuovo (L'Osservatore, Ticino, Switzerland)
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