Nespresso / theatrical opening

The Coffee. Opening script took guests through Ethiopia, Turkey, America and Russia before a finale with Bach’s Coffee Cantata. Legends about coffee’s origins gave way to stories about cafés, habits and art. Storytelling, music and conversations with the audience formed a journey through different eras.

The production brought together writers and actors from the Gogol Center, actors from the Brusnikin Workshop, Yang Ge and musical-theatre performers. The promenade format let actors address visitors as neighbours at a coffee table: joking, improvising and moving together into the next part of the story.

Each floor had its own sound: musicians from the Brusnikin Workshop on the first and a chamber ensemble on the second. The music changed with the story and invited guests to move through the space. The script combines vocals, keyboards, guitar and drums with a chamber part for strings, flute, harpsichord, tenor and soprano.

The final act turned the promenade into an interactive sequence: guests moved between rooms and took part in coffee stories and games. The soprano then led the audience towards the musicians. Bach’s Coffee Cantata brought everyone together in one room, sharing coffee and the performance.

VIP guests attended a separate intimate evening featuring Ivan Vyrypaev’s Interview S-FBP 4408 — an interview with a cyborg. Reception and tasting led into the theatrical part. Two chairs, a table and two cups of coffee connected the boutique with the action on stage.

The setting supported the opening’s central idea. The presentation explored three directions: a classic treatment, fine geometry with art-related language and oversized coffee-name typography. These proposals sought an atmosphere in which the product, space and theatre shared one language.