One of the legends of the Bulgarian theater - actor Anton Radichev - recently admitted alarming words. His health condition remains serious and he said that he does not know when he will be able to go on stage again.
On September 17, the National Theater opened its new season with the traditional solemn blessing of water, but this time the doyen Anton Radichev was not among those present. The reason is his deteriorating health.
"I am not well at all! I have severe neuropathy and I am staying in bed at home. No, it's not related to diabetes, but the situation is very bad," the actor told "Minah Godini".
The hardest thing for Radichev is the forced separation from the stage, which has been a huge part of his life for more than half a century.
"I don't know when I'll return to the theater, although I miss the stage. I had postponed the performance I'm participating in until the fall, but here it is, and I'm not recovering," he also admits. And he doesn't hide that he misses his colleagues and meetings with the audience.
"My life has changed a lot. I don't drink a single gram of alcohol anymore, I don't smoke," Radichev also says. And next to him in this difficult period are his closest people and his long-time companion Emma.
His colleagues from the theater also keep in touch with him, call him and are interested in his condition.
On July 6, Anton Radichev turned 79, but health problems also changed the way he spent his birthday. In recent years, the actor also underwent surgery for a herniated disc, followed by prolonged rehabilitation.
His last meeting with the audience was on December 30 last year in the play “How Important It Is to Be Serious (Without Apology)“ directed by Boyko Iliev.
Thus, the man who joined the troupe of the National Theater back in 1974 is forced to do something unusual for himself – to stop, although he still misses the stage.
"Over 50 years have passed since I have been at the National Theater. It is my second home, most of my life has been spent there", says Radichev. And his track record is impressive – dozens of roles on the theater stage and participation in dozens of Bulgarian films.
He himself attributes what he has achieved not only to luck, but also to the enormous work over the years, although today his daily life is radically different. Radichev remembers how he once took care of his sick father and it was then that he learned to wash and cook.
"And now they are watching me. I lie down, watch sports on TV and that's it!", admits the actor.