In 1880, Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote a newspaper serial which later became the major literary classic The Brothers Karamazov. The weighty – we’re talking over 800 pages – tome has given its name to a quartet of globetrotting entertainers from America who collectively call themselves the Flying Karamazov Brothers. Ahead of their third visit to Hong Kong, this time as part of the International Arts Carnival, the group’s artistic director and founding member, Paul Magid, talked to bc about the Russian connection and their four shows in the International Arts Carnival on August 10-12.

Why are you guys called the Flying Karamazov Brothers? For starters, you’re not biological brothers, are you? ‑
We are brothers, just not to each other. In 1974 we were reading the novel The Brothers Karamazov... and thought that the passionate dark characters of the novel matched our own characters in a reverse parallel universe sort of way. So we took the name, added ‘flying’ to the title because that adjective describes much of what we do. And, we thought at the time, we could always change the name...

Now for the title of the show that you’re presenting in Hong Kong: what’s behind Four Play?
Four Play is a play without words. It’s about the discovery, awe, and the freedom of play. It’s four of us playing in every way and it’s a tease until the audience can’t stand it anymore!

Have your previous shows been wordless and why is Four Play wordless?
No, our other shows had words. We are excited to try this experiment in creating a new way for us to connect with the audience. For us it’s another exploration of the craft of theatre and physical movement. Play, ultimately, is what we do.

Four Play has been described as “a wordless homage to play and wonder [with] 12 musical numbers played and sung by the Karamazovs”. So, are the musical numbers you sing wordless?
When I say wordless, I mean we don’t have a narrative dialogue. That doesn’t mean we don’t talk, play music or sing. We play lots of music, we sing a lot and we like to perform eccentric music.

As you are jugglers and comedians, then, what role does music have in your act?
Music is central to our show, our act, the way we think and
the way we approach juggling. In fact, I would say that the juggling you see is actually a kind of visual music. Mark Ettinger is our central composer. He is also a gifted conductor of symphony orchestras. ‑

What do you like best about juggling?
I like that it is music, numbers, a martial art and a game all
in one.

What should people going to see a Flying Karamazov Brothers show particularly look out for?
They should be prepared to be surprised. They will be thrilled, they will laugh and they will feel touched. We work on various levels – so that a child, parent or grandparent will laugh and clap all the way through the show. This is a show for children of all ages from two to 92.

Along the way to becoming Flying Karamazov Brothers, at least a couple of you went from being University of California at Santa Cruz students to street artists. Maybe this might sound stereotypically Asian but how did your parents react to this career move?
They were shocked. They’re still waiting for us to finish graduate school and become professors!

The Flying Karamazov Brothers will perform Four Play at the Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium from August 10 to 12. The August 10 and 11 evening shows start at 7:30pm, the August 11 and 12 matinees are scheduled for 3pm while the Sunday, August 12 morning show begins at 11am. Tickets are$100, $180 and $260 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.