Alo Kõrve still hopes he will not have to go onstage

Actor Alo Kõrve, who has worked at Tallinn City Theatre for more than 20 years, says he enjoys performing but still hopes before each show that he might not have to go onstage. He spoke about his work and life in an interview on the ERR programme “OP”.

Kõrve joined the theatre after graduating from drama school in 2002. “I sat down there and stayed,” he said with a laugh. Over the years, he has sometimes considered leaving for another theatre, and has also thought about changing careers. At one point, he imagined becoming a chimney sweep because the work seemed appealing and promised a wide view from the top of a chimney. But he thinks he would probably soon want to return to theatre.

The theatre recently marked a year in its renovated building. Kõrve said he enjoys working there, citing both its technical capabilities and the people in it. He also likes that he has not yet fully figured out the renovated building or how it works.

He spends most of his time there in rehearsal rooms and onstage. He is currently rehearsing “Teekond Damaskusesse” and has five productions in the repertory. Although he enjoys being onstage, he finds the moments before a performance difficult.

“I wait until the last moment, hoping that perhaps I won’t have to go onstage,” he said. “Once I’m onstage and in it, that’s different. When you feel that you and the audience are here together, doing something, and something beautiful might come of it — a beautiful thought, perhaps — that’s great. But until Alo has become that character, there’s a little moment when I think: maybe it won’t happen today.”

Kõrve also appears in the television series “Papsid”, which is popular with young viewers. He said young people matter a great deal to him, and that their strengths should not be forgotten when discussing the difficulties they face.

He is not afraid of ageing and said he feels physically more agile now than he did ten years ago. He has been winter swimming for 11 years, though he cautioned against treating it as a sport: “You have to understand and feel why you do it.” Swimming at night or at dawn gives him time to reflect on change, including the phases of the moon and the seasons. He also likes to send good wishes to people he has seen during the day, hoping the moon might give them strength.