Lia Akhedzhakova to Play One of Her Favorite Roles in Israel

Some roles seem as if they were written for a particular actor. Esther, the heroine of Lyudmila Ulitskaya’s play My Grandson Benjamin, became exactly such a role.

The writer repeatedly admitted that when creating the character, she imagined Lia Akhedzhakova in the role. Years later, that dream came true: the People’s Artist of Russia played Esther on stage, turning the production into one of the most remarkable theatrical works of recent years.

In January 2027, Israeli audiences will once again have the opportunity to see the production. Performances will take place in Beersheba, Rishon LeZion, Ashdod, and Haifa.

My Grandson Benjamin is a funny and deeply touching story about family, love, and the eternal conflict between generations.

The main character, Esther, is “the last small-town Jewish woman.” She lives through memories of the past and faithfully preserves the traditions of her childhood. Accustomed to making decisions for everyone, she is determined to arrange the future of her only son. She travels to her native Babruysk to bring him a bride from the “right” Jewish family.

It seems that the perfect plan is finally beginning to work. But life, as so often happens, turns out to be far more complicated than even the most carefully devised scenarios.

Beneath its light comic surface lies a profound conversation about family, memory, the continuity of generations, and the immense power of a mother’s love—a love capable not only of protecting and warming, but sometimes of becoming all-consuming as it tries to decide the fate of loved ones for them.

Although Lyudmila Ulitskaya wrote the play back in the late 1980s, it sounds no less contemporary today. Questions concerning the relationship between parents and children, family traditions, national identity, and every person’s right to choose their own life remain just as important and relatable to audiences.

The production’s special atmosphere is created by director Marfa Gorvits. Homelike, cozy sets, subtle humor, music, psychologically precise details, and remarkably vivid characters create the feeling that the audience has been invited into the home of a familiar family, where the funny and the sad exist side by side, and genuine emotions lie beneath the bustle of everyday life.

Naturally, the central event of the production is the opportunity to see Lia Akhedzhakova. As Esther, she combines qualities that might seem incompatible: authority and vulnerability, stubbornness and tenderness, comedy and profound drama. Her heroine can be funny and touching at the same time, bringing audiences first to a smile and then to sincere empathy.

My Grandson Benjamin is a production tested by both audiences and time. It premiered in July 2015. Since then, it has toured the United States and Canada twice and received a warm welcome from audiences in Israel, the Baltic states, and Belarus.

In September 2017, My Grandson Benjamin received four awards at the Amur Autumn Festival: for direction, Best Actress, Supporting Role, and a special jury prize.

Critics also praised the production highly. Afisha Daily called it “a languid yet funny story about the complicated relationship between a mother and her son.” Vash Dosug noted that the production was a rare example of a commercial theater production that proved to be a genuine artistic success. Novye Izvestia wrote that director Marfa Gorvits had managed to walk the fine line between humor and drama, avoiding both pathos and sentimentality.

My Grandson Benjamin is a production that makes audiences laugh, empathize, and recognize themselves and their loved ones in its characters. Lia Akhedzhakova’s brilliant performance turns this story into a true theatrical celebration.