The story is told with dances and eccentrics of «Mr Pejo's wandering dolls» theatre company, accompanied with the old Russian advent songs by «Otava Yo» folk band. Traditional Native Scene, as well as the characters of the story - Virgin Mary, Joseph, the Three Wise Men, Herod, the Death and others – are the artworks made in original technique. They are 2 meters height with the 6 meters height scene behind, perfectly suit for the theatre stage.
The show is full of interaction: the actors involve the audience in dancing, invite on the stage, and hand out candies. It is the bright and vivid show for the general public: young people, families, both secular and parish. The performance was approved by the clergymen of St-Petersburg eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Number of the viewers could vary from one hundred to three thousand people in the age up from 5 years old.
First night was held in St-Petersburg on 13th December 2011 in «Vyborgski» house of culture.
A theatre of carnival culture, masks, grotesque and buffonade was founded in 1993 in Saint-Petersburg. It looks for the inspiration in the authentic Baroque dances, historical art of fighting and Medieval miniatures, and actually in everything. During their interactive performances everyone gets a chance to become a King, a Knight, a Monster or just an intrigued spectator.
The actors in their performances charm us with both terrible and beautiful masks, mysterious stories and magic, taken all from the best traditions of European Carnival. Thanks to the high leveled technique of acting and original and unique aesthetics the company has been invited to perform before the ex-president of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the governor of St-Petersburg Valentina Matvienko. Mr Pejo's Wandering Dolls have played on the shows for such persons of high rank as Tony Blair, George Bush, Svetlana Medvedeva etc. The audience of the theatre was also Her Royal Highness Princess of Kent and the sheikh of United Arab Emirates. The theatre participated in Festival of Russian art in Cannes (France) and also in Carnival of Venice (Italy). The company is a permanent participant of the governmental parties and palaces celebrations in St-Petersburg. By their sense of humor and high interactive acting technique the actors of Mr Pejo's have merit a title of «President's buffoons». Nevertheless, they follow their vocation for the Street theatre with its unique diversity and boundless opportunities for the growth of artistic personality and creative explorations. The masks and costumes are made in the workshops of the theatre Pejo's. Its artistic value was highly appreciated during the exhibitions in the National Gallery, State Museum of Arts «Manezh» in St.-Petersburg, in Chaplin's Club in Vilnius, on the exhibition during the FETA Festival in Gdansk and many others.
Artistic director - Anna ShishkinaOtava Yo – a group of real modern skomorkhs, welcome guests of the festival. They can shake up every, even very strict, spectator.
Their repertory includes VERY popular and well-known recently in Russia songs and melodies. Though some of the songs have authors, they could be called folk by right.
«Otava Yo» are six musicians, playing different ethnical instruments, like bagpipes, violins, pipes, gusli, guitars, bass, and percussions. Their peculiar musical style they call «Russian beat». Every concert of «Otava Yo» is not just the music, but a whole show with jokes, songs and dances, when dance together musicians and spectators.
The group has already produced three musical albums and two videos. They also managed to become acquainted with the president of Estonia. They went with their concerts to France, Mexico, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Portugal, and Holland.
In October 2012 the video «Pro Ivana Groove» got the First Place in the World Music Network video charts.
Aleksey Belkin –gusli, galician bagpipe, zhaleyka, vocal