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 - it's a unique team in its own way, their work takes its roots in the mystical carnival traditions, giving incredible inner freedom. For more than a quarter of a century, «Giraffe Royal» has worked in the genre of visual theatre. At the heart of the creative method is the deep study of clowning, folklore, pantomime, ritual dance and street theatre. Theatre style was formed in 90ties - the flourish period of the "movement theatre". It is a combination of the strong acting school with the elements of dance, associative mime, clownery, street theatre, martial arts and the philosophy of Bhutto. Theatre have shown own performances and collaborative projects in St-Petersburg, Moscow, Paris, Barcelona, London, Montreal, Madrid, Dublin, Amsterdam, Rome, Brussels, Riga, Tallinn and many more. During its history theatre had chance to work with established artists as Terry Gilliam, Slava Polunin, Andron Konchalovsky, Sergei Ovcharov and gained some festival awards including Berlinale Golden Bear.

These skills, in addition to a special form presented on stage, are the secret of their amazing power of influence on the audience.

The theatre stands on the crossroads of the underground and official art, bringing the compositional harmony of the second to the offreat of the first. One of the theatre priorities is the search of new forms of communication with the audience. Since 1988 we have explored different forms of theatre: movement theatre and contemporary dance, white clownery and street performance, mime and improvisation. Anyhow the essence of our art is CONTACT. Contact with a spectator

History of the Production

this theatre startedfrom famous studios ofcalisthenics andpantomime long before perestroika and "new studio boom which gave birth to a whole movement of "new theatricality" and "non-verbal theatre " in Leningrad...

Press about the theatre

COMPANY MEMBERS:

Stanislav Varkki (1997-present)

Actor. Stage director. White clown. Choreographer. Producer. Poet. In his childhood attended an art school, the favorite toy was constructor.

Larisa Lebedeva (1997-present)

Actress. Dancer. White clown. Costume designer.

From the age of five attended free calisthenics. Studied in a music school.

Anna Varkki (2000-present)

Stanislav and Larissa's daughter. She was raised from birth according to a special system. Starting from the age of two she was engaged in physical theatre and movement studies. She has been taking part in stage performances since the age of four.

CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY prior to formation of Giraffe Royal (aka Perekatipole):

1985-1988: Leningrad. Period offlourishing for theatres and studios ofpantomime, clownery, dance.

Period of studies in the pantomime «Terra Mobile», studies of the most progressive developments in the physical theatre and dance (movement, break dance, modern dance, casual and associative pantomime, clowning, Asian martial arts, Bhutto, philosophy of movement.) The education process was unique with a theory enriched by professional theatre and public performance work, touring across USSR.

1986 — 1988 Varkki and Lebedeva work together in the organization "Lenconcert" with their original programme "Mime-Break Show" and at the same time took part in festivals with a serious performance 'Private life".

Review Terra Mobile " wins the first places in festivals and competitions as easy as a well-oiled machine " Smena daily newspaper, 1986

1. Varkki presents dimploma work project 'Street way " Varkki & Lebedeva tour as a duo in St-Petersburg — Tallinn — Riga Stockholm Berlin — Paris — Copenhagen — Helsinki StPetersburg by way of experiment and research earning exclusively following the old tradition of street theatre. The project was launched as the result of "Peace caravan" international event where the top street theatres from all over the world came to Leningrad and the leading masters made their master-classes.

2. Larissa Lebedeva - wins First Prize at the Russian National contest of ballet dancers in Moscow performing "Orpheus ", choreography by E. Smirnov

It was the golden age of classical ballet, which presented ambitions of soviet art at the world stage. There were plenty of schools, the strongest of which were in Leningrad, Moscow, and Perm. The central arenafor contests was All-union competition ofballet dancers in Moscow. 1991 Stanislav Varkki and Larissa Lebedeva name their duo «Perekatipole» ("Tumbleweed") which later was RENAMED to Giraffe Royal adding their daughter, Anna in 2000

1. : Perekatipole (later known as Giraffe Royal), has achieved the top award for International mime-festival of soloists and small troupes in Kazan for the performance "Return", choreography by E. Smirnov

2. Participation in development of system of rhythmic education for dancers, Golubev's laboratory (Leningrad)

3. Performances "Robber's wife " (music by Valeri Gavrilin "Chimes and "Dances in the rain " (later it became a performance "Love ")

Awards:

The First Prize at the Festival of Mime Solo and small troupes in Kazan (Russia)

The Grand-Prix in International festival of physical theatre in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)

Invitation to "Limburg festival of Street Theatre"

Tour in towns for the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium

1. Leningrad Establishment of a joined project of theatres «Litsedei", "Tree" and

"Perekatipole " ("Tumbleweed") "Fata Morgana ", European tour

1. Paris, invitation to the theatre "Ranelaghe performance "On the way to Sienna", role of White Clown

2. European tour with a performance "On the way to Sienna " (250 performances)

3. Lead role in the show dedicated to 85dh anniversary of Moscow at Red Square (stage director A. Konchalovsky)

Theatre "Perekatipole" achieved the main award at the festival of underground art "Brams" in Belgrad (Yugoslavia).

They took part in festivals in Montenegro, Germany, and Poland.

1998 Collaborative project with Slava Polunin "Dyabolo ", tour in Poland and the Netherlands.

Natalia Tabachnikova: Stanislav Varkki is, ofcourse, the main White Clown ofthe Soviet Union. Slava Polunin: I love him very much andjust adore his actor element, his talents. He is one of the best White Clowns, Interview at Radio Svoboda

Common performance with a stage director S. Ovtcharov, staging and filming "Pharaoh"

10-minute long cartoon «Pharaoh " brought a great excitement to a public at Berlin film festival. It rarely happens even to feature-length films. The outcome is a Grand Prix of the festival -- "Golden bear In a couple ofyears "Pharaoh " was recognized by cinema-critics as the best Russian movie of a decade (according to opinion poll carried out by the magazine "Kinoprocess).

Sergei Ovcharov: "My projects require magic "

...choreographer Stanislav Varkki is a great professional, I love him very much. You will hear his name! Even through a small piece of work you could understand, how talented he was.

«Bpe„tn                5 May 6-20, 1999e.

1. Establishment of«Giraffe Royab theatre, moving to Estonia

Staging a piece for "Slava Polunin's Snowshow" ("White Clown with a balloon"), working out a "yellow" version of the piece "Blue canaries"

1. The theatre Giraffe Royal represents Estonia at International Theatre Olympiad in

Moscow.

1. Stanislav Varkki — lead role, Larissa Lebedeva — episode in thefilm by Andron Konchalovski "Fools' house»

Awards:

Venice Film Festival - Grand Special Jury Prize

Venice Film Festival - UNICEF Award

Bergen International Film Festival - Jury Award (Honorable Mention) Nominations:

Venice Film Festival - Golden Lion

Academy Award - Best Foreign Language Film (representing Russia) Nika Awards - Best Music

IMDB database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332605/

. "Silver Lion" was given to St-Petersburg director of animation moviews Irina Efleeva for a shortfilm "Clown " Interesting coincidence one ofthe roles was played by Polunin 's partner — Stanislav Varkki, who played in another A. Konchalovsky work "Fools' house That work achieved Grand-Prix. So leadership ofRussians at thefestival was proved... " Press Working out a concept and staging "Show of green clowns in intermission"

2007 Tallinnfoundation "Blagovest " gives the theatre premiumfor contribution to culture

1. Taking part in the biggest international cultural-economics forum "Sibaltera " in

Novosibirsk innovation in culture (street performance)

Organization of Tambov Town Day in the format of Carnival

Working out the concept and carrying out a huge youth disco (5000 persons) "Pirate Station" (Tallinn, Saku Suurhall)

1. Participation in the festival "Best street theatres of the world"

2011 Staging a theatre show at the celebration of closing fountains in Petergof (40 000 spectators).

Staging a extravaganza performance "Carnival dreams" at the Italian festival of landscapes "Imperator's Russian gardens" dedicated to Days of St-Petersburg (Mikhailovsky Garden).

Opening the international forum "Hansa Days" in Novgorod the Great. Street performances.

1. Performance "Carnival" at Clownery festival in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and international theatre festival "U mosta", Perm.

Project "Street way"

Creation of "Laboratory of street theatre" 3 months of work and a final performance at "Old town Days»

After that they had an expedition tour in farthest villages of Khanty-Mansiysk with a programme "Medieval European street theatre".

Staging and directing a large scale street performance "Oilman's day" in KhantyMansiyst.

Developing and staging the carnival performance at "Festival of Russian culture Russenko" in France.

1. International Theatre Festival "Balaya Vezha" Sept 2014, Brest, Belarus 2015 Festival "Podgorica", Estonia Sept 6-9 2015.

2016 Royal Giraffe Theater performances in the US

The Royal Giraffe Theater is coming to the United States for a creative residency that includes workshops and new work creation at the Fairy House Festival.

The Giraffe Royal Theater is a nationally and internationally recognized entertainment group with world class statute in the genre of theatrical and clowning performance.

 Preparation, organization and holding of a school of street theater and commedia dell'arte in Italy (Mologgiano) and a tour of the squares and streets of the region's settlements.

Organization and holding of the First International Clownery Festival in Estonia

2017

Participation in international theater festivals in Finland, Poland. The works of the theater were awarded with diplomas of city mayors and organizers of festivals.

2018

The highlight of the Kuwait Independence Day celebration was an exclusive circus show staged by the Paris-based Madona Bouglion Circus.

In the international team of circus performers of the highest class from France, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, America, Russia, Stanislav Varkki occupied a special place, representing Estonia

France. Larisa Lebedeva. Clownery laboratory and work on the staging of the one-man show "BonDebarras" by French clowness actress Natalie Hervouet-Saddouk.

Georgia Opening of the international festival of arts "GIFT"

2019

Staging of the performance "Christmas Mystery" (Tallinn)

Joint project of the theater with the unemployment fund.

Within 2.5 months, a theater troupe was created from a group of unemployed,

After the master classes, a street performance was created on the accumulated material, later shown at the international festival of street theaters "TaDaa"

Participation in international street theater festivals in Latvia, Poland, Russia

2020

Premiere of the club program

Participation in the theater festival "Theatrical Russia" Perm

The largest festival in the world since the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

The audience during the live broadcast online is 78,652 people.

Participation in the festival of street theaters "Flüger", Perm

Perm Weathervane turned out to be the largest street theater festival this season. And not only in Russia.

20 theaters, 57 performances in 2 days.

2021

Theater tours in Cyprus and Portugal during the pandemic.

 

 

 

...Giraffe Royal is a unique team in its own way, their work takes its roots in the mystical carnival traditions, giving incredible inner freedom. For more than a quarter of the century, Giraffe Royal has worked in the genre of visual theater. At the heart of the creative method is the deep study ofclowning, folklore, pantomime, ritual dance and street theater. These skills, in addition to a special form presented on stage, are the secret oftheir amazing power of influence on the audience. The theater has toured over multiple cities including Paris, London, St.

Petersburg, Moscow and others, where they played with huge success in front of the sold out crowds of their fans. They collaborated with international stars such as: terry Giliyam, Slava Polunin, Andron Konchalovsky, Shusakll Takeuchi and many others. They received multiple awards for their work, amongst them are the Berlin Film Festival "Golden Bear " and the First Prize for contest of the Russian ballet in Moscow. They are desired guests and annual participants ofmajor International theater festivals held worldwide. Based on the Giraffe Royal Theater's outstanding achievements, I can unequivocally state that they are the troupe of extraordinary ability and their presence in the U.S. would enable them to contribute significantly to the field; therefore, I support this application on the basis ofthe troupe 's status as the theater group ofextraordinary ability with international recognition ... "

                                by Pavel Brun, Associate Director of Dragone (Belgium) and the former             Artistic Director of Cirque du Soleil