Hershey Felder’s Our Great Tchaikovsky

Despite my own inability to pronounce Tchaikovsky, there is a queue of people able to pronounce is correctly with a smile on their face. As his name triggers different memories for everyone, one thing Hershey Felder makes sure of through his interpretation was to show how he provided joy to everyone through his incredible legacy and compositions.

You reach a new height of famousness when you are known by just name, whether it’s first name or surname. Yet Tchaikovsky reaches a new level being one of the most celebrated composers ever and still rumours and conspiracies surrounding his lifestyle still do not fade over two centuries later.

Hershey Felder‘s performance of Tchaikovsky is outstanding to say the least. This play has the perfect balance that is able to reach and engage with a younger audience who do not yet acquire the knowledge of Tchaikovsky’s great history. While still true lovers of Tchaikovsky’s music and those from an older generation have the opportunity to reminisce. You will find yourself tapping and humming away along to classics such as classic and world renowned ballet pieces The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.

I found the 1hr 40 min production was not long enough for me. As expected, there are beautiful moments of piano playing and mini dialogues between professors that you may find interesting but there is a deeper hidden meaning within each scene. The set is simplistic yet effective, with minimal costume changes Felder kept it clear and concise through this one-man show who was the boss. We were invited for a unique insight into the vulnerability stages of Tchaikovsky’s lifestyle. The inclusion of breaking the fourth wall made me feel very relaxed, as if I was actually taking each step with Tchaikovsky through the starting at boarding school and losing his Mother, throughout late adult years. I was compelled at how in-depth and invested I was into Tchaikovsky’s life and I was an unknowing fan before the depth of his career as a composer was revealed to me all within 5 minutes of the play’s beginning. The transition between characters, periods in Tchaikovsky’s life (and when Felder went back into narrator mode) was as clear as day (but the accent changes made this slightly easier). The only puzzling question is – how did Tchaikovsky really die?

As centuries move on, speculation is never far from anyone’s lips. This production doesn’t tell you what you think you want to know about Tchaikovsky, in fact some of it may come as a shock. Though it includes some extravagant theories of what people believed happened in his last few years. Highlighting key issues that are still relevant and stand in 2017, whether you live in America, Russia or the United Kingdom. The play does not shy away from the importance (to some) of Tchaikovsky’s sexuality. As talented and respected as he made himself within his short but successful life, it all came at a price.