Erki Laur says theatre criticism no longer gives actors meaningful feedback

Estonian actor Erki Laur says theatre criticism has for some time offered actors little feedback that places their performances in a broader context. He made the remarks on ERR’s cultural programme OP, ahead of the premiere of German Golub’s play “Tantsi vabaks” at Temufi theatre in Viljandi on Friday.

The production marks Golub’s debut as a theatre director. He said he was drawn to theatre’s different kind of space and energy, and to the chance to work with actors and see how the experience affected him and the creative process.

Laur and Viktor Lanberg perform in the play, which Laur described as a story about love for life. Its two characters are an older man nearing the end of his life and a younger man in peak boxing form. The story is based on real events: a former student reunites with his favourite professor after a long time, and the younger man begins recording their conversations.

Laur and Golub have worked together on the films “Omakohus,” “Minu kallid laibad” and “Meie Erika.” Laur said that while making “Omakohus” in 2018, he had recently decided to stop acting, at least in the way he had done before. He began learning film acting again, he said.

Golub said Laur and Lanberg have very different approaches to acting, giving a director an opportunity to learn from both. He also argued that criticism should offer readers a new perspective, rather than simply describe what happened or judge whether an actor performed well or badly.

Laur said criticism matters to him when it reaches a broader interpretation of a performance. He named Ivika Sillar and Lea Tormis as the last critics he recalled writing substantially about acting in the context of a production’s overall story and ideas. He added that one or two people in Estonia still place individual performances in the context of an actor’s previous work.

Tags: theatre, Erki Laur, ERR