Toompere says shouting and violence have no place in resolving disputes

Estonian director Hendrik Toompere Jr says injustice and sloppiness can irritate him, but problems should be addressed with reason and heart, not insults or violence. He made the remarks to the ERR programme Pealtnägija, ERR reported.

Toompere, who turns 40 next week, is the artistic director of the Estonian Drama Theatre. He took the role in his early 30s, and the theatre has since produced a string of hit shows. Demand is so high that group booking orders can face waits of up to six years.

“I don’t see a problem with the auditoriums being sold out,” Toompere said. He understands the disappointment of not being able to see a show straight away, but said the theatre would try to keep performing popular productions so that everyone who wants to can see them.

The latest hit, Truth and Justice, was written by Andrus Kivirähk and directed by Toompere. It follows Indrek through the five volumes of the novel by A. H. Tammsaare. Timed to mark 100 years since the first volume was published, the production’s tickets became scarce weeks before its premiere. It is the seventh hit directed by Toompere, according to the report.

His parents described him as focused and persistent from childhood. His mother, Viktoria Toompere, said he always saw his goals through, while his father, actor and director Hendrik Toompere Sr, said that determination had helped him concentrate on his work. His mother added that he could allow himself more freedom and be less dutiful.

Toompere is the fourth man in his family named Hendrik, and the third connected to theatre. His grandfather, actor Hendrik Toompere, worked for decades at the Puppet Theatre with his wife, Maie. His father works at the Estonian Drama Theatre as a director and actor; his aunt Harriet Toompere is an actor, and his sister Üüve-Lydia is a choreographer and director.

Toompere said he considers himself very much a central Tallinn boy. He was born in a maternity hospital in the building that now houses Eesti Pank, attended Tallinn Secondary School of Science and works at the Estonian Drama Theatre. “I’ve basically spent my life within one hectare in Tallinn,” he said.

He considered several paths after school, including mathematics, which he enjoyed, but auditioned for the theatre school because its entrance exams came first. He was accepted and said the world of theatre drew him in. He studied in the school’s 24th class alongside actors including Mikk Jürjens, Marta Laan, Kertu Moppel, Sandra Üksküla and Kristjan Üksküla.