Estonian Drama Theatre stages five-part Truth and Justice in one evening

The Estonian Drama Theatre has premiered a production that brings all five parts of Tammsaare’s novel Truth and Justice to the stage in one evening. Andrus Kivirähk adapted the work and Hendrik Toompere Jr directed it, ERR reported. Rasmus Kaljujärv plays the central character, Indrek Paas.

Kivirähk proposed staging the entire series at once. He said each generation should look at the foundational work with fresh eyes. “Tammsaare is such a powerful writer. There is drama, sadness, intrigue, suicides, murders and everything imaginable,” he said, adding that Estonians should stage Tammsaare as regularly as the English stage Shakespeare.

Kivirähk said theatre first sparked his interest in Truth and Justice. As a boy, he saw a play based on the novel’s fifth part and wanted to learn more about its characters, so he began reading the book from the start.

Toompere called the production a worthy challenge for the Estonian Drama Theatre. He said he sought a distinct aesthetic for each part, noting that each has its own world and suggests its own visual style. Laura Pählapuu and Jaanus Vahtra designed the production, Priidu Adlas created the lighting, Lauri Kaldoja the sound, and Eve Mutso was the movement director.