The Will of His Lordship

by Hjalmar Bergman

Premiere

Translated from Swedish by: Meglena Bodenska

Stage adaptation and direction: Denislav Yanev

Set and costume design: Maria Koleva

Music: Maria Tepavicharova

Featuring: Svetoslav Slavchev, Nadezhda Petkova, Stoyan Rumenin, Atanas Dimitrov – Fozi, Radostina Angelova, Aleksandar Andreev, Lyuben Popov, Petar Rangelov, Vanina Popova, Dilyan Nikolov

Synopsis

Everyone in the district is busy preparing for Baron Roger Bernhusen de Sars’s grand anniversary celebration. Although the eccentric aristocrat loves indulging in life’s pleasures, whether because of his age or the gout that has beset him, he is not particularly excited about the upcoming festivities. But the sudden arrival of his uninvited sister and nephew spurs him to take an action that will ensure he is remembered.

After years of bowing to social conventions, the moment has finally come when His Lordship can express his personal will with one decisive gesture. The free-spirited master’s final wish is to leave behind a secure future for his illegitimate—but beloved—daughter, born to one of the servants. And the fact that his intentions run counter to the expectations of many only fills him with greater energy and determination to carry them out.

As the adults grapple with the ghosts of the past and their material interests, they become caricatures of their own vices. The young, meanwhile, swept up in the throes of love, are ready to stand up for absolute ideals of honor and dignity—sometimes even at the cost of taking a beating.

This production is an impressive satirical comedy. The menu for His Lordship’s birthday offers a rich selection: grotesquerie, naivety, and farce, served with lavish costumes and acting specialties.