“The Key to the Suitcase Full of Bricks” is a theatrical production based on works by Ключ от чемодана с кирпичами. It is far more than a simple vaudeville with disguises or a conventional comedy of situations. The play becomes a sharp and ironic exploration of conscience, fear, desire, and the human urge to appear better than one truly is.
The characters Dybin and Harry resemble circus performers tossing other people’s secrets into the air one after another. Director Emin Mirabdullayev combines several works by Arkady Averchenko — “The Key,” “The Weak String,” “The Case with Patletsov,” “Olga Nikolaevna,” “Betrayal,” and “The Woman and the Thief” — into one cohesive narrative. The result is a story about how easily people mistake bricks for treasure and how difficult it is to mistake a woman for a fool.
Averchenko appears here not only as a satirist, but also as a subtle psychologist. In the episode “Betrayal,” laughter becomes bitter; in “The Case with Patletsov,” it borders on absurdity. And the final twist involving the suitcase key overturns everything the audience believed about truth and lies. This is a kaleidoscopic performance in which every turn reveals a new picture of human weakness — sharp, funny, and unexpectedly tender.
Stage Director: Emin Mirabdullayev
Adaptation: Emin Mirabdullayev
Production Designer: Zinaida Mirzazade
Costume Designer: Olga Abbasova
Music Arrangement: Vladimir Neverov
Choreographer: Maria Dubovitskaya
Assistant Director: Yulia Limareva
Cast:
Dybin, thief, Razletayev — Emin Mirabdullayev
Harry, Nezabudkin, thief — Tamerlan Abdullayev
Wife — Maria Dubovitskaya
Husband, Lover — Elshad Murtuzov
Wife — Egyana Huseynli
Lover, Concierge — Rashad Aliyarov
Janitor, drunkard, husband — Ilkin Mekhtiyev
Landlady — Maya Vorobzhanskaya
Husband — Ramil Aliyev
Duration:
Act I — 1 hour
Act II — 1 hour
