Podgorica, Mar 7: A stage adaptation of Russian author Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky’s novel The Gambler will premiere at the Montenegrin National Theatre on Saturday, with all tickets for upcoming repeat performances already sold out.
The play, directed by Lidija Dedović, will be staged on the theatre’s main stage at 8 pm. The production has already generated significant interest, with tickets for repeat shows scheduled on March 9 and March 27 fully booked.
The cast includes actors Lazar Dragojević, Nikola Perišić, Aleksandar Radulović, Julija Milačić Petrović-Njegoš, Ana Vučković, Tihana Ćulafić, Lara Dragović, Miloš Kašćelan and Davud Bahović.
The dramatization has been written by Kata Đarmati, while the play’s dramaturgy was developed by Dedović along with playwright Stefan Bošković. Music for the production has been composed by Irena Popović-Dragović.
The stage design is by Vana Prelević and Dedović, while costumes have been designed by Lina Leković. Tamara Vujošević-Mandić handled choreography and movement, Damjan Pejanović worked on lighting design, and sound design was created by Mladen Nikčević.
Artistic director of the Montenegrin National Theatre, Marija Sarap, expressed confidence that the production could become a long-running success in the theatre’s repertoire.
According to Sarap, adapting Dostoevsky’s work for the stage is challenging because such novels are not easily dramatized, but the creative team managed to retain the core narrative while presenting it in a compelling theatrical form.
Director Dedović said the adaptation sought to preserve the emotional and autobiographical crisis reflected in Dostoevsky’s writing while presenting it as a contemporary theatrical experience.
She added that the theme of gambling remains socially relevant, pointing to the growing presence of casinos and betting venues in urban spaces and their impact on younger generations and families.
Đarmati noted that Dostoevsky himself struggled with gambling debts and wrote the novel within a month in 1866. Because of this background, she said, the story goes beyond gambling as a vice and instead explores existential struggle and human behaviour during moments of crisis.
Bošković added that the production focuses less on the roulette table itself and more on what gambling symbolises in human life. He said people often take risks in relationships, careers and trust, making life itself a form of gamble.
Actor Lazar Dragojević, who plays Aleksei Ivanovich, described his character as someone who constantly lives in extremes and whose inner conflict drives his actions. Lara Dragović, portraying Polina Alexandrovna, said working on a Dostoevsky adaptation had been a long-standing aspiration for her as a performer.
The production also features live musicians Marija Mitrović, Mladen Nikčević and Filip Radević, with Nataša Milićević serving as assistant director and Danilo Milatović as executive producer.
