Director Markus H. Ilves on Tallinn City Theatre production: morally ambiguous situations fascinate me as a director

Director Markus H. Ilves spoke on Vikerraadio about Dennis Kelly's play "Orphans," which premiered at Tallinn City Theatre. Ilves explained that as a director, he is drawn to morally complex boundary-crossing situations, and admitted that reading the play posed a personal question for him: what would he do if his child came home covered in blood?

Director Markus H. Ilves shared his thoughts on his latest work with Vikerraadio host Liis Seljamaa, discussing the British playwright Dennis Kelly's "Orphans," which premiered at Tallinn City Theatre in late April 2026.

According to Ilves, the material offers actors extraordinarily rich possibilities. "The actors have so much left to discover and play in this story. I hope that in the new season, we can perform it many times in succession so it doesn't disappear. This material is an absolute goldmine for an actor," Ilves said.

The opening dialogue won me over immediately

The director admitted that the decision to bring the play to the stage came about after reading just the first few pages. "I read it in one sitting. It's very well written, rhythmic, and it immediately grabs you. All the actions are psychologically so justified," he explained.

Ilves stressed that as a director, he must have a personal reason to take on material. "Those situations that are, in a way, so morally ambiguous are very intriguing to me as a director. I want to go into that situation together with the actors and explore what a person does in that situation."

Moral compass put to the test

For Ilves, the play raises a deeply personal question. "I found myself asking: what would I do if my child came home covered in blood, where is my moral compass? How does uncertainty or confrontation create fear," he said.

The director added that he always tries to be truthful with the material. "To bring this material out honestly. A person is so complex, with their own traumas, justifications and desires for why they behave that way."

According to Ilves's description, Kelly's play explores how big-city violence penetrates a small, quiet space, and how confrontation and aggression begin to grow from there.