Devil's advocate

As the winner of the State Prize of the Russian Federation and of the National Prize of Lithuania, Tuminas has directed more than 20 plays in different theaters in Lithuania and other countries.

The director also brought his team to join in the production, including composer Faustas Latenas and set designer Adomas Jacovskis, both longtime partners of Tuminas.

"The director told me that Goethe's Faust could be interpreted as a comedy and it is Mephistopheles who urges Faust to continue exploring himself and the world, to some extent. It was quite an inspiring idea and when I read the book from the very beginning, I approached it from a fresh perspective," says Liao. "Mephistopheles is a cultivated, witty, and cynical demon. It represents the negative elements in Faust's own personality. The gender of the demon is blurred to me. It felt like having a love affair with Faust."