The financial and economic crisis struck in 2008, affecting the entire world and leaving an impact on every human on our planet. Latvia was no exception. The lovely Latvian word ‘dižķibele’ was used for the whole thing at the time, meaning that it really hit the fan.
It was at that time when Cabaret developed its project ‘Artelis — Almost a Theatre’ (‘Artelis’ means ‘an association or guild of artisans, artists, or even gold prospectors’).
Our shows became more intimate, and were not as huge as before. We played around with socially-relevant topics in a grotesque manner. At that time, comedian and head of Cabaret Piccolo Jānis Skutelis wrote his excellent monologues about sin, while Elza Rozentāle transformed from a singing waitress into a diva.