Avangard Leontiev and Yevgeny Mironov ... have the leads. The former, I would say, is adequate. The latter is magnificent. It's frightening to imagine what №13 could become without Mironov. He alone, at the price of a sweat-soaked shirt, is able to sustain the drive and the comic rhythm, which constantly flounder otherwise. ... In addition, only Mironov plays an actual, specific human being, not a chuckle-extorting device. ... Either Mironov had directed himself (for an artist who's just this side of genius, it's no biggie), or our theater is all out of comparable talent.

The stuff Mironov pulls defies description, for it's all based on his instantly shifting mannerisms, gestures, inflections. He turns – and it's funny; he falls, stays down, gets up – giggles become guffaws, then howls. Who would have thought Mironov, mostly known for his portrayals of high-strung sensitive types, would prove to be a bona fide comedian with a style all his own?

The star of the show, Yevgeny Mironov, could probably make a dead man laugh just by showing him his little finger. Instead, he employs a whole comic arsenal – everything from slapstick to high camp. His timid but resourceful deputy's secretary is so hilarious, he'll have you weeping with laughter and begging for mercy.

Fits of Homeric laughter from the audience, applause and cheers after each new gag – these are the rewards of Mashkov's direction and the responsiveness of his actors, particularly Mironov and Leontiev. That brilliant pair can play whatever the genre at hand demands.

Mironov and Leontiev are a superb duo worthy of [its own TV show]; and when they are joined by Leonid Timtzunik, the result is a unique act that deserves to be included in textbooks on stage movement, kinesics and dance.

The best thing about №13, hands down, is Yevgeny Mironov. In the course of three hours he changes several dripping shirts and produces more energy than a good-sized electrical plant.

One is tempted to call him Proteus, especially remembering him in the highly complex role of Grishka Otrepyev – changing with the circumstances yet always utterly authentic. Yevgeny Mironov's talent bespeaks a great artistic future – and an ability to sense the trials and pitfalls of his profession.


[Translated by Vlada Chernomordik for the Yevgeny Mironov Official Website]