EDINBURGH 2023: Review: THE MYSTERY OF THE DYATLOV PASS, TheSpace @ Symposium Hall, Annexe

The Mystery of Dyatlov Pass tells the story of the Dyatlov Pass incident of 1959 in which nine hikers from the Ural Polytechnical Institute in the Soviet Union were found dead on the slope of Kholat Syakhl, their tents cut and their bodies in only their underwear.

For decades, people have been theorising on what could have killed the hikers; an avalanche? Katabatic winds? Hypothermia? Secret Soviet chemical weapons testing? The show tells the story of the hikers, exploring the days before their deaths. 

When the show starts, there are hiking boots and heavy winter jackets on the stage. Heavy breathing is heard, and one actor shivers her way through the aisle up to the stage. She is revealed to be playing Yuri Yudin, the one member of the expedition who left the hike early due to illness, becoming the sole survivor. Each character is introduced as they put on their boots and jackets, getting ready for the hike. 

Igor Alekseyevich Dyatlov, the leader of the hike, is played as a strong hiker who is unsure of his leadership skills but must take a stand when things begin to fall apart. The oldest member of the group, Semyon Alekseyevich Zolotaryov, who is 38, 14 years older than the second oldest member of the expedition, keeps pushing his suggestions through, attempting to go around Dyatlov’s chosen path. 

The Mystery of Dyatlov Pass gives the hikers a sense of humanity that most conspiracy theorists fail to do, theorising on the relationships they might have had with one another leading up to their untimely deaths. The deaths themselves are portrayed in a heartwrenching manner as the actors writhe and cry out on stage, soon collapsing and leaving only Yuri Yudin alive to face the consequences. Each actor then becomes a person from the 21st century, shouting out a range of theories on the incident, which becomes even more powerful when you realize the actors on stage are the same age that the hikers were at the time of their deaths. 

Ultimately, The Mystery of Dyatlov Pass is a reflective tale of the lives of those who were involved in the Dyatlov Pass incident. The ending leaves the mystery open to interpretation but harshly reminds audiences that there are real human lives behind many conspiracy theories like those surrounding the nine hikers. 

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