Prominent Bulgarian pantomime actor Velio Goranov celebrated his 70th birthday, as 45 years of those have been spent on stage. Krapp’s Last Tape of Samuel Beckett, a one-man-show with the Salza I Smyah Theatre downtown Sofia marked the event. Here is what the actor said for Radio Bulgaria:

“Actually it is a character, sunk deep in his loneliness, with no friends or relatives around. The man has only his memories taped. The concept of director Boris Radev, who offered me the play, was that everyone wants to mark a trace in his or her life – kids, money, dwellings, land etc. Krapp wishes to leave his memories on what he’s been through over all these years. However, his tape is analogue and the digital era is here – the man sees that he has to transfer it all to a digital recording. Trying to do this, he realizes that in fact his entire life is nothing. He simply has no memories, what he’s been through is not worth it.”

Yet, the play has some optimism, hidden in the looking for happiness, for those meaningful moments that bring sense into our life.

Dostoevsky’s Grand Inquisitor is another play that Velio Goranov acts in with the same theatre company. How does he prepare his lines before the show?

“We can compare the text with the black hole itself. It is so powerful that a sentence of Dostoevsky’s requires a whole play from other authors. And he has gathered it all into 10 – 12 pages. The hardness comes from the fact that I always rehearse with 100% of my energy before the show. Then, I need at least two and a half to three hours to concentrate on the character, otherwise it will be only a plain text reading. Things are quite different with Krapp, as I need to get out of my skin and get into his - he is quite distant from me as a person.”

Velio Goranov established the initial pantomime troupes in Bulgaria back in the 1970 – 80s, named Studio Pantomime and Dvizhenie Theatre. He was pronounced Top Pantomime Actor in the World at a London-held festival in 1980. He is a programme manager of the Salza I Smyah Theatre now, where he still acts. Velio Goranov received the honorary certificate of the Askeer awards for his anniversary.

How did you get attracted by pantomime?

“It gave me the freedom which the average Bulgarian didn’t have. There is no language barrier with pantomime and I traveled a lot around the globe in nearly 25 years. Furthermore, I could do whatever I wanted as an artist, without complying with the rules, orders and bans of the communist government.”

What makes you happiest in life?

“The love of my friends and colleagues is my greatest happiness. I’ve never heard bad words from a colleague, not even behind my back. I have a loving family – what could be better? I also have something really important – a stage that loves me. I love it as well. This love has been lasting for 45 years now,” pantomime actor Velio Goranov says in conclusion.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev