Igor Merkulov

Igor Merkulov was a Russian born actor and director.

Biography

Born Igor Vladimirovich Merkulov on 21 June 1962, he became known as a child actor in the 1970s, appearing in films like for Sledstvie vedut znatoki (1971), Ptitsy nad gorodom (1974) and Venok sonetov (1977) and Odnazhdy v dekabre (1988)

He later worked a stage director for the opera company at the Bolshoi Theatre

He died on 14 June 2024.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

In 1992 he was imported from the Russia by PACOFS to play the role of the Russian ballet dancer in a performance of Vat So! (the Afrikaans version of Ray Cooney's Chase Me, Comrade!) at the Bloemfontein Civic Theatre. Merkulov played his role (loosely based on Rudolf Nuryenev) in Russian, as it had been in the original text. The play was done in Bloemfontein during February, then went on tour to Kroonstad, Welkom and Sasolburg.