Galin Stoev is among the most recognizable Bulgarian directors with a lasting international presence. His artistic career is closely connected to the French-speaking theatre scene, and he is the only Bulgarian director to have staged productions at the Comédie-Française in Paris. His productions have been included in the official program of the Avignon Festival. From 2018 to 2025, Stoev served as Artistic Director of Théâtre de la Cité – Centre dramatique national Toulouse Occitanie. In 2019, he was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic.

SPUNK Company is a French independent company led artistically by Galin Stoev. It works with young, emerging artists and frequently collaborates in co-productions with major theatres and prestigious festivals.

This production of Illusions continues Stoev’s long-standing interest in the work of contemporary Russian playwright Ivan Vyrypaev. He has previously staged several of Vyrypaev’s plays in Bulgaria (Archaeology of Dreaming, Oxygen, Delhi Dance) and in France (Genesis No. 2, Unbearably Long Embraces). Ivan Vyrypaev, who left Russia and became a Polish citizen, is one of the most significant contemporary playwrights, with his works translated into more than 30 languages.

Is it possible to truly love someone if your entire idea of them is an illusion? The play tells the story of two elderly couples who, throughout their lives together, believed they knew each other completely and that their love was eternal—only to discover, at the end of their days, unexpected and hidden truths.

Performed in French with Bulgarian and English subtitles.