Inese Ramute

Born: 19 September 1955

Inese Ramute was born in Riga, but since graduating from the acting and directing course at the Theatre Faculty of the Latvian State Conservatory in 1978, she has been an actress at Valmiera Theatre.

Of the acting course at Valmiera Theatre led by Māra Ķimele, which Inese completed, only two of her coursemates—Aigars Vilims and Januss Johansons—still work at the theatre today. They are joined by Dace Everss, who became part of this course, and together the four of them form one of the most talented and powerful ensembles of their generation in Latvia. From Māra Ķimele, Inese, like the other three, has retained a constant dissatisfaction with herself, an interest in working in many fields beyond theatre, and the ability to keep theatre as her highest priority despite everything.

One of Inese’s areas of activity is education—she gives many young people from Valmiera Gymnasium and Viesturs School their first genuine understanding of the acting profession. These abilities have most likely come from her family: both of her parents were educators, and Inese spent her school years moving between different places, as, while her mother taught choral conducting and music theory in Riga, she travelled with her father, who worked as a school principal in Umurga, Salaspils, and Ikšķile.

Her role as Belinda in the production Quiet! The Performance Is On! is to a great extent a self-portrait of Inese herself. It contains both the unwavering conviction that, whatever the circumstances, “the show must go on,” as well as the understanding that a true partner knows the other’s lines better than their own and is always ready to step in and help. It also combines practical everyday wisdom with a touch of feminine light-heartedness.

In 2017, Inese Ramute received the City of Valmiera Municipality award “Valmierian of the Year.”