- 1968
- Russia
"The troupe was founded in Leningrad by Slava Polunin with fellow clowns including Vladimir Olshansky.
They soon set about creating sketches with a distinctly western inflection, not exactly devoted to singing the praises of the great USSR – which earned them the suspicion of the Soviet authorities. Nevertheless, through sheer tenacity Polunin succeeded in endowing the company with a fantastic new facility: a disused abbey that he converted into a rehearsal space, fully-equipped workshop and small office where the team spent most of their days and nights.
Between the 1970s and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the troupe gained a certain international reputation.
Barely tolerated by the authorities but adored by the public, Théâtre Licedei was granted permission to leave the USSR on several occasions to participate in festivals all over the world. Their first visit to France saw them perform at the Festival d'Aurillac.
Shortly before the wall came down, Théâtre Licedei put together Mir Caravan (Caravan of Peace), a travelling show which ran from May to September between Saint Petersburg and Blois.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the group split, with several members feeling the time was right to move on to pastures new. Some joined the Cirque du Soleil, while others achieved international success as solo stars, including founding member Slava Polunin with his Slava Snowshow.
Those who decided to stay in Russia felt it was time to reinvent the company. The “veterans” of Théâtre Licedei thus had the honour of creating a clown school within Saint Petersburg’s prestigious Academy of Theatrical Arts.
In doing so, these 4 veterans (Anvar, Robert, Anna and Victor) reached out to a new generation of performers, once again putting imagination to the forefront in the group’s creations.
Théâtre Licedei now has a renewed sense of vitality, while remaining true to the original spirit that won national and international acclaim for this unusual troupe of clowns – without a red nose or mask in sight."
