One of the most popular theaters in the audience of St. Petersburg is the State Drama Theatre "Shelter comedian", which is located in the heart of the city on Sadovaya Street in the house № 27. Its audience capacity of 200 persons. The repertoire of the troupe of more than 20 performances, which include performances of works of Russian and foreign classics.

The founder of the theater "Shelter comedian" - actor Yuri Tomoshevsky, embodied the idea of ​​their child one-man show. The performances of prose and poetry for the one-man show takes viewers into the amazing atmosphere of the literary salon of St. Petersburg early 20th century. The theater was opened February 19, 1987.

When the theater only announced himself in a small basement on Gogol Street (Little Sea), in the auditorium with 60 seats were poetic and musical meetings and evenings with famous actors and performers of our time - Elena Kamburova, Natalia Danilova, Alla Bayanova, Igor Volkov, Tatiana Kabanova, Sergei Dreyden and many others. Very soon, a cozy theater has become a haven for those directors and actors, who for various reasons were not able to realize their creative ideas on other stages.

Since 1995, the head of the theater - director Victor Minkov. With the support and help of well-known cultural figures of St. Petersburg in 1997, the theater "Shelter comedian" has found a permanent home in a building on Sadovaya Street, № 27. From this moment, "Shelter comedian" life begins full repertory theater.

After 13 years of V. Minkov introduces an innovative idea in the work of the theater, and "Shelter comedian" is the first in the Russian Federation gosteatrom without a permanent troupe. Born contract symbiosis of Western and Russian repertory theaters. Theater works as a state entreprise. The repertoire is completely preserved, but in every new project comes a new team in which everyone - actors, directors, artists - are under contract. Thanks to this audience had a unique opportunity to see on stage leading Russian actors in the performances, set the best directors of the country.

In the theater, today carried out some 100 productions. Annual plan - at least 4 premieres. The performances of the theater "Shelter comedian" are very popular with the audience and repeatedly awarded prestigious prizes and festivals in Russia and abroad.

In addition, the theater "Shelter comedian" often acts as an organizer of international projects. So, in 2005, with the support of the theater, the I International Theatre Festival "apprentice". His goal was to present the best works of students of famous Russian directors. He was devoted mostly students work shop PN Fomenko. The following year, the graduates have passed displays of works by KM Ginkas in 2007 - with the work of MA students Zakharova, and in 2008 - students workshop productions GM Kozlov. At the festival in 2009 presented the works of the leading drama schools of Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the Festival in 2010 was the display of works of theater school in Krakow, Bratislava, Vilnius, Helsinki and St. Petersburg.

Another successful project "Shelter comedian" - "Petersburg theater season", which is a major cultural and political action. This project - not a commercial. It oversees Valentina Matvienko, the city government and finances. The main objective of "the Petersburg theater season": to introduce the European audience with the success of the theatrical life of St. Petersburg. The first theatrical season began in November 2007 in Prague. He caused a wide public response, becoming a kind of bridge between theaters Czech Republic and Russia. In December 2008, it was continued in Berlin. In 2009, "St. Petersburg theater season" was held in Finland in 2010 - in Israel, in 2011 - in Italy.

Theatre "Shelter comedian" in cooperation with the Committee on Culture and independent theater critics Zaretsky J. and A. Pronin, established the "St. Petersburg Theater Award for young" breakthrough ". It is awarded to actors, directors, artists, theater managers and 35 years old who have achieved significant heights in the field of dramatic art.