Mironov's acting captures every nuance of the illness, from motor restlessness to near-catatonia.


That talent comes at a price is a notion to which the leading actor, Yevgeny Mironov, is clearly not a stranger. He is strikingly authentic in a situation where, one suspects, authenticity is hazardous.
What Yevgeny Mironov does here is fully aligned with the director's vision, but his portrayal of the Artist is so deep and powerful that the production acquires some new vital force, which takes it beyond those confines.
Yevgeny Mironov does not lose his bewitching authenticity in the director's most abstruse and extravagant conceits, but his ability to stun to "death outright in sober earnest" is at its finest when he can concentrate on artless action. At such moments Mironov's acting can be compared to that of the legendary masters of the Method.

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