Taago Tubin stages teacher’s duel with violent teenager

Estonian Youth Theatre will premiere “The Beast,” a production directed by Taago Tubin and based on a play by Duncan Macmillan, at its small hall on Sunday, ERR reported. The play asks what can be done with a young person who cares about no one and fears nothing.

The story follows an inexperienced teaching assistant tasked with saving a disturbingly behaved 14-year-old boy from permanent expulsion. A tense duel develops between the teacher and student, affecting their lives beyond the classroom.

According to Tubin, the story takes place here and now, in a society where violence among minors is a frighteningly growing trend.

“According to a United Nations study published in 2026, children and young people’s mental well-being is not as poor in any other European country as it is in Estonia,” Tubin said. “The Beast” examines what responsibility we bear for the worlds we create. It forces us to acknowledge how family, institutions, fear and love become intertwined in complex and sometimes inseparable ways.

Duncan Macmillan is one of the best-known contemporary British playwrights. The Youth Theatre’s repertoire also includes his play “Every Brilliant Thing.”

The play was translated by Mart-Matteus Kampus. Tubin, who works at Vanemuine, directs the production. Pille Jänes designed the set, Vootele Ruusmaa composed the music, Sander Põllu of VAT Theatre designed the lighting and Maria Solei Järvet created the choreography.

The cast includes Risto Vaidla, Erik Hermaküla, Laura Kukk and Tiina Tõnis.