Nasprotje Stvari – Kritike

Besedna obravnava posameznih resnih tem se začenja igrivo in nevsiljivo v kontekstu včasih kar bizarnih situacij (pri pogovoru o fašizmu vsi igralci sedijo in pletejo dolge barvne šale), ki silijo na smeh. V izvedbi igralcev zmore Nikitinov tekst v nekaj stavkih celotno situacijo povsem obrniti in odkriti novo perspektivo, ki zamrzne nasmeh na ustnicah. […] Predstava je polna tovrstnih močnih in ostroumnih replik. Igralci imajo z njimi gledalce na povodcu in postopoma lahko usmerjajo atmosfero v publiki. […] Nikitinova uprizoritev je provokativna in po zaslugi tematike se do določene mere poigrava s kontroverznostjo, kar jo dela še bolj atraktivno in perspektivno. Posamezni vidiki uprizoritve so narejeni precizno, in edina nevarnost za češko občinstvo je ogromna količina besed v slovenščini. Sicer pa gre za močno umetniško doživetje, polno filozofskih premislekov in zanimivih igralskih dosežkov. Predvsem pa je to grenka groteska o življenju, ki se kmalu sprevrže v nekaj povsem nerazumljivega.

(Veronika Holečková, Divadelní noviny, 02. november 2019)

 

Med številnimi temami, ki jih odpira predstava Nasprotje stvari, se znajdejo skoraj vse aktualne problematike in specifike javne in politične sfere. Prek populizma, dilem svobode govora ter polarizirane družbe ne prevprašuje političnega sistema, temveč igro subtilnih strategij, s katerimi fašizem uspešno nagovarja in združuje množico. Vendar pri tem uprizoritev ne napravi zombijevskega monstruma, izogne se karikiranju ali brutalnosti fašističnega nasilja in se bolj osredotoči na satirizacijo lastnega poskusa odrske reprezentacije fašizma ter se s tem vrača k stiski posameznika, ki jo desna opcija uspešneje kanalizira.

(Rok Bozovičar, Dnevnik, 03. april 2019)

 

Nasprotje stvari Borisa Nikitina črpa iz nadvse pomembnega elementa sodobne resničnosti. Satira in pompoznost v okostju neofašizma, ki se v posamezniku stopnjujeta v iracionalen impulz, naglo prodirata v družbene kraterje. […] A s tem, ko Nasprotje stvari celostno vsesa in obenem karikira skrajno desničarsko miselnost, jo hkrati razoroži. Prostor angažiranega gledališča vsaj za moment postane gol, prečiščeni prostor refleksije, opolnomočene s satiro.

(Tjaša Škorjanc, Radio Študent, 02. april 2019)

 

Nasprotje stvari se v monologih nenehno giblje po območju občutij in stisk, odvezanih od politične izbire, ki jih prepoznamo v različnih bivanjskih izkušnjah, predstava ‘sovražnika’ (fašista) individualizira, s čimer omogoči empatijo do neofašistov, in tako s čudovito preciznostjo osvetli dvoje: da levica morda ne razrešuje problemov zato, ker jih napačno detektira ter enako kot altright homogenizira in dehumanizira nasprotnika, obenem pa pokaže, da ne potrebujemo ‘surove emocionalnosti’, temveč solidarno (razumno) empatijo in sočutje, zmožnost prisluhniti; sicer prihaja do vse večje polarizacije skupin, hkrati pa je »eksplozija« vse resnejša grožnja. Tu tako seveda mora priti do razločka; jeza ne sme deteriorirati v sovraštvo in ubijanje, korakanje v smrt ne ‘ščiti’ nikogar (in ničesar ne razreši), ampak – in tu je ključni moment opomina levici – najprej moramo imeti interes v zaščiti in razrešitvi konflikta in ne v ‘izločanju sovražnika’ iz sistema. Ob navdušujoči idejni izpeljavi ter igri ima predstava tudi izjemen dramski lok, ki občinstvo iz sproščene zabave privede k refleksiji lastne politične pozicije ter močnega čustvenega izkustva. Predstava, ob kateri bi bil smiseln raziskovalni pristop; vsega, kar predstava vključuje, ni mogoče analizirati v kratkem zapisu. Izjemno domišljeno in dodelano, preprosto odlično umetniško delo.

(Anja Radaljac, Delo, 01. april 2019)

 

Koncept Borisa Nikitina, kot ga predstavi v gledališkem listu, ponuja več zanimivih vsebinskih in problemskih iztočnic. Med njimi vprašanje o mejah svobode govora v sodobni umetnosti, v kateri naj bi bilo po besedah Nikitina bolj ali manj dovoljeno izraziti vse, kar si želiš. Besedilo je tako zastavljeno kot nekakšna igra o tem, da si ta prostor svobode prilastijo, kot pove režiser, alternativna desnica in neofašisti. [… V] odnosu do besedila [je] toliko bolj zanimivo spremljati igralsko interpretacijo likov. Odlično jim namreč uspeva, da z najrazličnejšimi tehnikami, kontrastiranjem, stilizacijo, ritmom in tudi z izjemno igralsko prezenco gmoto jezikovnega gradiva uprizoritveno zelo zanimivo utelesijo. V organizaciji tega igralskega materiala, od subtilnega prevračanja intenc do prostorske organizacije prizorov in glasbeno vizualne dramaturgije v predstavi kot celoti, se kot zelo zanimiv avtor vsekakor pokaže tudi režiser.

(Saška Rakef, Radio Slovenija 1, 29. marec 2019)

 

A verbal treatment of individual serious topics begins playfully and unobtrusively in the context of at times quite bizarre situations (when discussing fascism, all the actors are sitting and knitting long colourful scarves) that force one to laugh. The actors, in just a few sentences, skilfully turn, Nikitin’s text and its situation around and reveal a new perspective that freezes the smiles on our lips. […] The production is filled with such powerful and sharp lines. Actors keep the spectators on a leash and can gradually direct the atmosphere in the audience. […] Nikitin’s production is provocative, and thanks to the theme it partly plays with controversy, which makes it even more attractive and promising. Individual aspects of the production are precise; the only danger for the Czech audience is an immense quantity of words in Slovenian. But, it is a strong artistic experience, full of philosophical considerations and interesting acting achievements. And above all, it is a bitter grotesque about life that soon turns into something completely incomprehensible.

(Veronika Holečková, Divadelní noviny, Nov. 2, 2019)

 

The many topics that The Opposite opens include almost all the actual problems and specifics of the public and political sphere. Through the questions of populism, dilemmas of freedom of speech and polarised society, it doesn’t actually question the political system, but the play of subtle strategies with which fascism successfully addresses and unifies crowds. But the performance doesn’t create a zombie-like monstrosity; it eschews caricatures and brutality of fascist violence and focuses more on satirisation of its own attempt of stage representation of fascism and thus returns to the distress of an individual which the right-wing option channels more successfully.

(Rok Bozovičar, Dnevnik, April 3, 2019)

 

The Opposite in its monologues incessantly moves through the zones of emotions and distress, released from the political choice which we recognise in different existential experiences, the performance individualises the ‘enemy’ (fascist), which enables empathy with neofascists, and thus with wonderful preciseness sheds a light on two things: that the left perhaps doesn’t solve problems because it detects them wrongly, and just like the alt-right homogenises and dehumanises the adversary, and at the same time shows that we don’t need ‘brutal emotions’ but rather supportive (rational) empathy and compassion, the ability to listen; otherwise the polarisation of groups increases, and at the same time, the ‘explosion’ becomes an increasingly more serious threat. Here now a distinction must obviously occur; the anger must not deteriorate into hate and killing, marching into death ‘protects’ no one (and solves nothing), but – and this is the key moment of the warning to the left – first we have to have an interest in the protection and solution of the conflict and not in the ‘elimination of the enemy’ from the system. Along with the enthralling conceptual realisation and acting, the performance has an exceptional dramatic arch, which brings the audience from a relaxed fun to the reflection of their own political position and a powerful emotional experience. A performance that would require a research approach; it’s not possible to analyse everything that it includes in a short review. An exceptionally thoughtful and refined, simply brilliant work of art. 

(Anja Radaljac, Delo, April 1, 2019)

 

Boris Nikitin’s concept […] offers several interesting content and thematic starting points. Among them is the question about the borders of the freedom of speech in modern art where, according to Nikitin, pretty much everything can be said. The text is thus conceived as a play about how this space of freedom gets appropriated, as the director states, by alt-right and neofascists. [… I]n the relation to the text [it is] that much more interesting to follow the acting interpretation of the characters. They are brilliant in using different techniques, contrasting stylising, rhythm and exceptional stage presence to embody the mass of the linguistic material in an interesting way. The organisation of the acting material, from the subtle flipping the intentions to the spatial organisation of the scenes, and the musical and visual dramaturgy in the performance as a whole, shows the director to be a very interesting author as well.

(Saška Rakef, Radio Slovenija 1, March 29, 2019)