#grinpayne

Language: Slavic musical theatre is historically very poetic. It's less acted and more spoken. And it has not yet borrowed colloquial language from broadway or independent plays, so characters here talked like they were in a poem. They spoke literary language and many speech quircks, differences, accents were sadly lost. It slightly affected the perception of the musical, because this created the feeling that they were outspoken and eccentric and risky but! within reasonable limits!

Translation: It seems like they didn't have enough time or budget.

I would say it was translated pretty decently? In general it was okay. Sometimes I was amazed by it. But sometimes very strange translation decisions slipped through. The "they would not fucking say that" things, you know? Even "real people don't talk like that" from time to time. Some jokes were lost, a lot of jokes were not funny because they were directly translated instead of fitting the context. It was not as funny as the original, it has definitely lost its edge. But the new parts they added were great and funny!

I admit, having an ability to appreciate the original I definitely had high expectations. But I still can naturally ick when someone tries to be vulgar and family-friendly at the same time. It has it's reasons, but I won't go into that.

And I'm sorry but Beauty and the Beast was horribly translated. It's horrible. Here, I said that, don't @ at me. I can't explain it to english speakers, but the translation of "I love you" sound like they're in the kindergarden. It's horrible.

Done with the boring part, let's go to the Characters:

Grinpayne has not changed at all. He was just like in the original musical, he even sounded like his original actor (big respect to our actor!). Nothing really to say here, sorry. I enjoyed his performance a lot.

Dea was... from the book. I don't know why they did that. Not only appearance - she was only Grinpayne's support and love interest, not more. She was not sassy, brave or anything that she was in the original. Maybe she was different in other shows, but as far as I saw and listened - that's it. ☹

I also can't really say much about Ursus, as Grinpayne he too was just like in the original. Nothing changed. He was great.

Queen Angelica was a different from the original production. She was less sociopathic and more... out of her mind? How can I describe that?

At the time she's introduced to us she's wearing a top with very long sleeves that meet at the back, like in a straitjacket. She's having complete "I'm not here" look, does not speak a word. Then, she kisses the pig leg and it magically makes her speak her first word in 20 years. She's so crazy I love her!

Also in this production it makes sense why she didn't like Josi and David's affair: David walks in the room and in his sister's embrace just the moment before Queen enters the room and sees them tangled at the bed.

I really enjoyed her performance!!! I even liked her performance more than the original tbh... She's was the funnies character in the musical!!!

Speaking of the funniest character...

Barkilphedro was.... painfully uncharismatic. Excuse me, who is that? ☹

He takes more narrator role and... just narrates. He has absolutely no character. Well, no, he's still pathetic, yes, but he doesn't feel pathetic. He's lowkey alright with his position? He's just some guy. He's not disgusting, repulsive, desperate. He's not even old - he's a twink!!! What the fuck!!! (And it's an actor issue. I know there is another Barkilphedro actor, but I don't know anything about his performance. Hopefully one day I'll see it and do an update on that post to say if this is really an actor issue or production in general) The scene with breakfast dance was not disgusting and hilarious, it was hot /srs. I mean, I'm not complaining😳But it's another part that was lost

I was so dissapointed ☹ I went to the musical for him. And he wasn't even funny!!! He should be the funniest character in the musical!!! What the fuck!!!

JOSIANA WAS AMAZING!!!! OMFG!!!!

She's so funny and capricious and whimsical and hysteric!!! Like the original, but if bristol Josiana is more demanding, russian Josiana was more frivolous, constantly laughing, giggling and screaming.

Her part of musical slightly changed. First, she's not alone - she is constantly surrounded by her favorites who agree with her words and laugh at her jokes. They're very silly!

Second, there is no scene with Barkilphedro and the King on the funeral. Barkilphedro tells his dream to Josiana right after the dance. It was a cool scene, favorites touch him(sfw), it did something to me ngl. Josiana and favorites laugh at him.

Third, I like repeating motif of beauty and the beast. In the original production it didn't go beyond Dea and Grinpayne's musical number, comparing them to the tale. In russian production when Dirry-Moir dies Barkilphedro does not joke about his name. Josiana kisses David and he comes back to life, which is a lovely return to the tale.

David was funny!!!

He was much like in the original, but even more silly. He interfered Ursus' show that much, that Ursus had to stop the show and tell him sir please stop interfering.

Osric was great! He's lost his commoner's dialect, but show gave us insight that he ruined his hand at the war.

The King lost one of his scenes, but I liked him nonetheless. He was more cruel here. My friend noticed the detail that he is being carried around the stage on a throne on the wheels by his subjects, because he won’t lift a finger for his country or anyone, this is a nice character detail.

Quake and Spike was there. They were alright.