SELEDKA Will Come to Edinburgh Fringe
Writer-performer Uliana Klimchuk and director Lily Afghani bring the one-woman show to its international debut.
Uliana Klimchuk is set to make her Edinburgh Fringe debut later this Summer with her powerful one-woman play SELEDKA, inspired by the cultural сhasm Kilmchuk noticed between her life studying in contemporary America and her home, Ukraine.
Klimchuk was driven to create the show after she noticed the difference between how little was known about Ukraine, and her vast understanding of American life and culture. Aspiring to bridge this gap, she proceeded to write a political satire that would not only entertain, but also educate and relate the distant world of Ukraine to audiences who may have never had to question what it's like to live with war.
Speaking about the piece, Klimchuk states 'the show looks to question themes such as who's entitled to claim ownership of a country; and how different are we from those fighting for their freedom? We are more similar than we think if we learn from our history.'
SELEDKA was formed by Klimchuk and director Lily Afghani, upcoming graduands of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, who began their collaboration on last year, further developing and showcasing the show; SELEDKA was featured as part of UNCSA's season in February 2026, and was performed across the East Coast, in the cities of Winston-Salem, Washington D.C., and New York.
SELEDKA received support, in part, from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts to further develop and present this work at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, through a program in partnership with Producer Hub, which is serving as a fiscal sponsor.
Klimchuk is an actor, singer and writer from Kyiv, Ukraine. Kilmchuk earned a degree in Pop Singing at Kyiv R. Glier Institute of Music - prior to her graduation, her country was invaded- forcing her to become a refugee in Bulgaria, where she joined Young Playwrights Ukraine - who are committed to telling the stories of their people and the realities of the day to day lives of millions of Ukrainians. In the summer of 2023 she moved to North Carolina to pursue her degree in Acting at UNCSA. Her play Superhero, has been published by Smith & Kraus and performed by David Harbour and Ivanna Sakhno at an online play festival, and at the Vineyard Theater by Kelly AuCoin and Jessica Hecht.
Director of the show, Lily Afghani is a stage/film director, and puppet-maker from Houston, Texas. This year at UNCSA, Afghani completed directing their thesis production of Elliot, a Soldier's Fugue, by Quiara Alegría Hudes. Coming from immigrant parents, Afghani recognizes cultural diversity as an integral part of our human experience, and seeks to reflect this belief through their art. This manifests itself through a strong focus on stories about immigration and displacement. Some of Afghani's other credits include: an adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang, The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, Giving Up the Ghost by Cherríe Moraga, and an adaptation of The Boy Who Talked With Animals by Roald Dahl. This year, Afghani will also take part in the Kenan Fellowship at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts.
SELEDKA is performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 17th - 22nd August at 12.35pm) (60 minutes), Paradise Green, Paradise in Augustine (Snug) (venue number 152); and 24th - 30th August at 17.10pm (60 minutes), ZOO Playground (Playground 3) (venue number 186).
Get Broadway News on WhatsApp
Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.
Videos
|
Reparations Pleasance Courtyard (Above) (8/05-8/30) |
|
100 Years of Magic Aberdeen Arts Centre (9/04-9/05) |
|
Sanctuary Pleasance Dome (Ace Dome) (8/05-8/31) |
|
Scotland vs England: The Comedy Show Alhambra Theatre (6/05-6/05) |
|
Collaborator Pleasance at EICC (Pentland) (8/06-8/22) |
|
Glass Child Summerhall (Old Lab) (8/06-8/16) |
|
Big Stuff Assembly (Roxy Boxy) (5/05-5/30) |
|
Giraffe Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar) (8/05-8/31) |
|
Heated Rivalry: The Musical Parody! Gilded Balloon Patter House - Other Yin (8/05-8/30) |
|
The Steamie Alhambra Theatre (10/29-10/31) |
| VIEW ALL SHOWS ADD A SHOW | |
