In spring 2003 "The Clowns House" was opened in Olgiyevskaya Street in the building of the former "Druzhba" cinema. The Clown House is home to the renowned Odessa comic-troupe, "Masks", long acknowledged to be one of the most original collectives in pantomime, clownery and eccentrics in Eastern Europe.
The story of "Masks" began in 1984, headed by the artistic leader Georgiy Deliyev. Performing all over the former USSR as well as other continents, their reputation grew and throughout the 1980s and 90s the troupe became international award winners, including the award of the All-Russian Humor academy, the "Golden Ostap", in 1993.
Their popularity grew with numerous television projects like "The Masks-show", "Masks at the Wedding", "Masks in Opera",
Television movies, etc. Georgiy Deliyev himself began appearing in television sketches and films (he acted in films of the producer Kira Muratova and played the part of Ostap Bender in the German screen version of the famous comic novel, "Twelve Chairs"). Another member of the Masks troupe, playwright, poet, script writer and favourite of the public, Boris Barskiy, is not less popular.
The Clowns House is the permanent theater of the Masks comic-troupe as well as being a popular concert stage and art-house cinema for connoisseurs preferring non-commercial films. It is also home to the "Mana-Mana" café which is also eccentric and merry.
Address: 23, Olgiyevskaya Str.
Tickets prices: to "Masks" performances - 50-100 UAH, to film shows -15 - 25 UAH
Tickets office telephone: +38 (048) 723 63 16
Open: 7 days per week.
Number of seats: 325
Website: http://www.maski.com.ua