Siim Tõniste brings nostalgic Tivoli to Tallinn theatre venue

Siim Tõniste’s production Tivoli, a playful exploration of nostalgia, will premiere at the Kanuti Gildi Saal theatre venue, ERR reported.

The production creates a shared space for performers and the audience, combining spoken texts with childhood games inspired by the past. Tõniste said audience participation would be gentle and non-threatening.

“I have to admit that I do not particularly like being drawn into the action of a performance myself either,” Tõniste, who directs and performs in the production, said. “But I dare say that the way we do it is a very soft landing. It is more like a school trip to an amusement park. There is nothing frightening about it. You do not have to express yourself in front of others or perform. Nobody is made to look foolish.”

Tõniste said the title Tivoli suited the production for several reasons. “A tivoli is an organised environment, but at the same time there is great confusion. And partly because tivoli is simply a good old-fashioned word. Since nostalgia is the recurring theme of the production, it felt like a perfect fit,” he said.

The cast includes four performers and a large number of colourful props. Performer Üüve-Lydia Toompere said the production contained many small but important details.

“There are a lot of small details that need attention and are extremely important. As a performer, you keep creating new layers and depth for yourself. It takes time to understand the whole,” Toompere said.

She described the production as entertaining, engaging and somewhat thought-provoking. Tivoli will run at Kanuti Gildi Saal in September and October. The performance is in English.