Anton Fedorov’s staging of Alexander Vampilov’s “Duck Hunt” has premiered at the Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater (BDT) in St. Petersburg. The play features Grigory Chaban in the lead role of Viktor Zilov.

The production, set in the late 1960s Soviet era, explores themes reminiscent of Shukshin’s works.

Chaban’s Zilov attempts to reconstruct the events following a drunken night at the “Nezabudka” cafe. The stage design reflects this fragmented reality, presenting a collage of locations including Zilov’s apartment, the “Nezabudka” cafe, and a forest.

Alexey Vinnikov plays Dima, the waiter from the “Nezabudka” cafe. The play also incorporates a chorus of elderly neighbors and co-workers, and a working elevator, enriching the theatrical experience. Karina Razumovskaya portrays Vera, a character presented with greater depth than in the original play.

Adding a layer of meta-theatricality, a voice announces on a train station PA system that “A boy named Grisha Cha…n” is missing.

The play concludes with Zilov shooting himself in the face with a toy gun.