The music theatre performance “Alfas” is inspired by events that took place in Jēkabpils – small town in Latvia – in January 2011, when four policemen and one civilian carried out an armed robbery in a casino, followed by a chase and a shootout during their arrest on the banks of the Daugava river. The consequences were tragic – in the line of duty, while attempting to apprehend the robbers, a police officer was killed. This incident coincided with the lowest point of the economic crisis, while also serving as a stark reminder of the values of the so-called “fat years”: bravado and the public celebration of an expensive, prestigious, and credit-based lifestyle. Although these events took place more than ten years ago, it is still possible to ask the same questions today – how do we, as a society, understand the words “determination”, “strength”, “masculinity” and “heroism”?
By reinterpreting and fictionalizing these events in a dramatic musical form, it becomes possible to create a version of how human character, self-confidence, carelessness, and the state of the nation converged at one point, triggering a tragedy. This performance is an opportunity to reflect on the role of men in society. How do they see themselves? What is expected of them?
How to think about all this – and find oneself in a dead end?
DIRECTOR Valters Sīlis
LIBRETTO Jānis Balodis
MUSIC Edgars Raginskis
SET DESIGNER Uģis Bērziņš
LIGHTING DESIGNER Niks Cipruss
PRINCIPAL RÉPÉTITEUR Līga Paegle
SOUND DESIGN Kārlis Tone
PERCUSSIONIST Ernests Mediņš
CHOREOGRAPHER Edvards Kurmiņš
CAST Aleksandrs Bricis, Artis Drozdovs, Mārtiņš Gūtmanis, Emīls Kivlenieks, Armands Siliņš-Bergmanis
WARNING The performance contains gunshot sounds and strong language.
DURATION 75 min
LANGUAGE Latvian, with English and Czech subtitles.
