Jun Sat 7:30 PMSaturdayТеатър АртвентBuy ticket
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Where:Театър Артвент, 7:30 PM, Sofia
Ogledaltse, ogledaltse
Theophil is a successful celebrity writer, whose fame, however, has faded recently. Dreaming of distancing himself from his image as an author of sugary romantic novels, he writes a small poetic tale about a little sea snail that has lost its shell and is searching for the meaning of life.
Surprisingly for him, through this, Theophil finds his inspiration again, but he has no idea what effect this story will have on his loved ones. Like in a mirror, they begin to recognize themselves in the characters - sea urchins, shrimp, mermaids, and other sea creatures, and discover hidden messages in the metaphors.
That evening, everyone gathers to settle their accounts. And a real cataclysm occurs. One by one, family members pour out everything that weighs on them, lay bare their fears, and say everything that is on their hearts, creating a torrent of comedic and surreal misunderstandings and mismatches.
“Mirror, mirror” by Leonor Confino is a witty contemporary comedy about the man of the 21st century, living in an era of increasing alienation, raising the fundamental question of whether we, as humans, are capable of seeing the world as it is or if we only see it through the reflection of who we are ourselves.
From Paris to Sofia: how a new comedy found its edge
Written by French‑Swiss playwright Léonore Confino, the piece arrives in Bulgaria after the Parisian run of L’effet miroir at Théâtre de l’Œuvre (October 12, 2023 – January 13, 2024), where the role of Irène earned Jeanne Arènes the 2024 Molière Award for Best Supporting Actress. Confino is one of the most staged contemporary voices in France, with multiple nominations for the Molières over the last decade. The Sofia premiere at Theatre Artvent took place on May 8, 2026, following early performances in Pazardzhik (April 26) and Ruse (April 28), with a Varna date on May 14 the same year.
The Bulgarian staging is led by director Anton Ugrinov and anchored by a quartet of audience favorites: Margita Gosheva, Ivan Burnev, Lilia Maravilia and Robert Yanakiev. Their sparring grounds the show’s mercurial shifts—from razor‑sharp banter to moments that flirt with the surreal—while keeping the emotional stakes close to home.
Creative team and staging
- Translation: Snejina Rusinova‑Zdravkova, retaining Confino’s quicksilver rhythm and sly humor in Bulgarian.
- Scenography and costumes: Vanina Tsandeva, whose clean lines and reflective textures wink at the play’s obsession with self‑image and projection.
- Original music: Kalin Nikolov, shaping the dinner‑table “storm” with a score that teases out both farce and tension.
- Produced by Baza X, with Artvent as presenting partner at its home stage in Aula “Maxima” (UACEG), now among Sofia’s liveliest independent venues.
Expect a compact, high‑tempo evening where the character of Theophil—a celebrity novelist itching to reinvent himself—sets off a comic chain reaction. Confino’s setup is deliciously theatrical: a closed room, an intimate circle, a text that everyone believes is about them. Ugrinov leans into the play’s double game between what is said and what is seen, inviting the audience to catch their own reflections in the ricochet of half‑truths, projections and wishful thinking.
If sharp, relationship‑driven comedies are your thing, you may also enjoy the caustic marital detours of Otchayani sapruzi 2: Brakuvani or the gleefully awkward misunderstandings in Idiotyt zvyni vinagi tri pyti. For a show‑business twist on love and reinvention, peek at Lyubov po scenariy v HOLLYWOOD, and for Friday‑night laughter with a bite, Petak vecher.
Why this production stands out? It honors the pedigree of the Paris hit and its award‑recognized performances while speaking directly to today’s Bulgarian audiences: the pressure to brand oneself, the thin line between fiction and confession, and the way a single “innocent” story can turn a family gathering into a hilarious reckoning.