Dailes Theatre announces DAILENNIALE – its first international showcase of performances and art events

DAILENNIALE is conceived as an international, annual platform for performing arts and events, offering audiences an opportunity to discover the hottest performances and artists from theatres across the Baltic Sea region and Europe. From music theatre to a dance tour behind the scenes at Dailes Theatre, from a cult item of dramatic theatre to one of the most ambitious productions in Europe – the first programme of DAILENNIALE includes five pieces, each different in form, that the theatre is especially keen to present to its audiences. 

Juris Žagars, General Director of Dailes Theatre: “In recent years, Dailes Theatre has become increasingly well known within the European theatre world. We are talked about beyond the context of Baltic theatre – we are now invited to tour not just Europe but also Asia and Australia, with discussions underway about travelling to the USA and Canada. We are of interest not only to theatre professionals but also cultural tourists. This international recognition, in turn, helps us reach out to great theatres and sought-after artists and invite them to perform at our theatre. So the idea about a major international performing arts festival at Daile that had been brewing for years can now start coming true. What is more, we have found a great partner – the city of Riga. Riga needs and deserves an arts festival of this kind, running from mid-August to October. This is just the beginning, and we hope next year we can go even further.” 

Chairman of the Riga City Council, Viesturs Kleinbergs: “Theatre and culture are an inseparable part of the identity of Latvia and one of the greatest values of our city. It only makes sense to draw on the strong cultural offering in Riga to attract international audiences and tourists. We are delighted that DAILENNIALE is bringing European artists and productions to Riga, and that the municipality can support an event of this scale.”

On August 26 Dailes Theatre will welcome the most sought-after production in Estonia in recent seasons and a sensational success: the Estonian Drama Theatre production “BUSINESS AS USUAL”, written by Mehis Pihla, directed by Hendrik Toompere Jr. 

Dubbed a cult show, “BUSINESS AS USUAL”, the latest work by the talented Estonian director Hendrik Toompere is a monumental documentary thriller on the “Danske Bank” money laundering scandal – a 200-billion-dollar scheme involving a Danish bank, oligarchs, prostitutes, and security personnel. In recent years it has become one of the most in-demand Estonian productions, with tickets selling out within minutes. Its performances in Latvia also sold out at record speed. The “Danske Bank” money laundering scandal shook the Estonian and wider regional banking system several years ago, and the performance explores which money exactly continues to shape the societies of our region. 

The guest performances of  “BUSINESS AS USUAL” at Dailes Theatre are supported by Riga City Council and the Estonian Ministry of Culture. Shows are taking place in the Large Hall on August 26, 27, 28. Producer: Estonian Drama Theatre. 

Coming to the Dailes Theatre New Hall on August 27 – Estonian National Theatre Vanemuine production “THE END”, written by Piret Jaaks, directed by the brilliant young Estonian director Marta Aliide Jakovski who happens to have Latvian roots. 

What do we mean by life if we know it's going to end? With this question dramaturg Piret Jaaks and director Marta Aliide Jakovski approached people who are, professionally or personally, very close to the final stage of life – priests, chaplains, specialists of Holy Scripture and folklore, and people on their deathbeds. Easily regarded as timeless, a documentary piece has grown from these conversations. The production is praised by critics and audiences alike, and is a hymn to life and living. Producer: Estonian National Theatre Vanemuine.

Next up, on October 16, 17 and 18 at Dailes Theatre rehearsal hall – “UNANNOUNCED”, a contemporary dance tour. Authors: Heine Avdal, Yukiko Shinozaki; directors: Heine Avdal, Yukiko Shinozaki. 

Artists from Belgium, Latvia, Japan, Norway and other places on the globe have come together to create a magical dance performance on the elusive experience that is theatreunann. “UNANNOUNCED” is a succession of unexpected events dismantling the boundaries between the inside and the outside of a theatre, between what’s happening and what seems to not be, between the stage and the wings. Six performers invite the audience on a mysterious journey beyond the visible and the familiar, towards a space that gradually transforms into a labyrinth.  Specifically for Latvian audiences the choreography and direction have been adapted to the spaces of Dailes Theatre – a complex, multi-layered environment, much like a secret city that only a rare few get to know in everyday life. Besides, the first meeting of the audience and the artists will take place not in any of the theatre halls, but in the lobby of the building. 

Producers: dance organisation “Tuvumi” (Latvia), “fieldworks” (Belgium), Dailes Theatre (Latvia). Supported by the Norwegian Cultural Council (Norsk Kulturråd), Vlaamse Overheid, Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie, European Union's Creative Europe and Perform Europe programmes, Riga City Council, Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Flanders State of the Art. 

Next, Dailes Theatre offers Latvian audiences another of this season's special events – the music theatre production “SIDDHARTHA”, premiering at the prestigious Ruhrtriennale in Germany. Written and directed by Lisaboa Houbrechts, this performance features a large international creative team, with Dailes Theatre actress Milēna Miškēviča, the award-winning Latvian Radio Choir and conductor Kaspars Putniņš representing Latvia.

The Belgian director Lisaboa Houbrechts, often hailed as a sorceress of the stage, dissolves the boundary between music theatre and contemporary opera. A visible presence in today's European theatre landscape, she has taken to interpreting “SIDDHARTHA”, a novel by Hermann Hesse, drawing audiences into a philosophical tale of the spiritual journey of a young Brahmin towards enlightenment in India, an exploration of self-knowledge, worldly doubt, and the pursuit of wisdom. Already heralded as a major European theatre event of the year, the performance will be coming to the Large Hall on October 21, 22, and 23. 

Producers: Toneelhuis Antwerp, KVS (Belgium). Co-producers: Ruhrtriennale (Germany), Dailes Theatre, International Theatre Amsterdam ITA (Netherlands), Belém Cultural Centre (Portugal). Executive producer: Toneelhuis Antwerp. The production is supported by Riga City Council and the Belgian federal government's tax shelter scheme, via Gallop Tax Shelter.

And to close the very first DAILENNIALE, audiences are welcome to experience on of the most in-demand Daile productions worldwide – “ORACLE”. Following its world premiere at the Ruhrtriennale last year and further success in Switzerland, Italy and elsewhere, “Oracle” has cemented its reputation as one of the biggest productions on European stages in recent years. Polish director Łukasz Twarkowski, who also staged “ROTKHO”, a smash hit across Europe, and his team continue to explore a complete fusion of theatrical and cinematic expression, delving into uncannily accurate prophecies of the future and the backstage of technology that is already shaping our lives today. “Oracle” shines a light on the discoveries in natural and artificial intelligence by British mathematician and logician Alan Turing – the creator of the Turing Test – during World War II. A visually striking and conceptually provocative piece not to be missed! “Oracle” is written by Anka Herbut and directed by Łukasz Twarkowski. Its performances will be the closing event of DAILENNIALE on October 30 and 31 in the Large Hall.

Producer: Dailes Theatre. Co-producers: Ruhrtriennale (Germany), “New Error” (Lithuania), Comédie de Genève (Switzerland), Piccolo Teatro di Milano (italy), De Singel Antwerp (Belgium), Adam Mickiewicz Institute (Poland). Co-financing: the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. Innovation partner: LMT.