The Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre presents the production of Leo Delibes' opera Lakme. A young artist from Moscow, Maria Vysotskaya, is its set and costume designer, as well as a make-up artist.

According to the concept of the production director Sergei Novikov, his version of Lakme takes place in a modern metropolis, in a huge city park where the Indian Сultural Сentre is located. The emphasis is on the relationship between Eastern and Western societies - they originally had different traditions.

“These relationships are complex; regarding the leading characters, they are pernicious. The task of the set and costume designers is to support this concept visually. Luxurious vegetation surrounds the Сultural Сentre, there will be a pond nearby, boat and flowers - both those, which are sung about in the famous Flower Duet and the fatal white flowers of datura. But in our production, it’s not a wild forest but a city park with neat lawns and trimmed trees. And Lakme hides the wounded Gerald not in a forest hut as in the traditional plot, but under the pedestal of the sculpture of the god Ganesha. It is such an industrial, secret space that only members of the community know about,” said Maria Vysotskaya. “Of course, the difference in cultures will be emphasized by the costumes. At the festival of the goddess Durga, Hindu people will don authentic national costumes - dhoti and saris with luxurious patterns, women will wear jewellery. Representatives of Western civilization will put on modern casual clothes - after all, this is who we are,” said Maria Vysotskaya.

The Lakme production team emphasized the West-East clash, the opposition of the old architecture and modern one of glass and concrete, living gardens and devoid of vegetation (dead) downtown. This task is solved by using video content; the author of its concept is a video artist Dmitri Ivanchenko.

Premiere performances of Leo Delibes' opera Lakme will take place on March 1, 2, 3, and 4.