#CHARLOTTESVILLE Comes to The Pleasance in July

The UK premiere #CHARLOTTESVILLE, Priyanka Shetty’s gripping docu-play on the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally and the rise of white supremacy in America opens at The Pleasance, Bunker Two direct from Washington DC on 30 July (press performances from 1 August).

Written and performed by Shetty, #CHARLOTTESVILLE chronicles the tragic events of August 11th and 12th, 2017, when white supremacists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, for the "Unite the Right" rally on the pretext of expressing outrage against the removal of the confederate monument of Robert E. Lee. These rallies led to a violent clash with counter-protesters, the deaths of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, two state troopers, and at least 19 serious injuries. 

Priyanka Shetty moved from India to study acting at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, a liberal place of clipped lawns and classical architecture rated in one survey as the happiest city in America. But rather than the American dream, she found isolation and discomfort because of her race and, as the era of Donald Trump dawned, a nation on the cusp of hostility towards immigrants like her. Then came a white supremacist march through Charlottesville and an explosion of racist violence. 

Constructed verbatim from interviews with over a hundred local residents, court transcripts, and news reports, #CHARLOTTESVILLE offers a nuanced examination of the complex issues surrounding race and identity, and how they intersect with the broader political and cultural landscape of the United States.  

#CHARLOTTESVILLE follows Shetty's critically praised solo performances, including The Elephant in the Room, which has toured internationally, and her involvement in high-profile cultural festivals and symposiums. The play has already earned rave reviews for its powerful, immersive storytelling and its exploration of timely issues of race, politics, and community.

The production receives its UK premiere, direct from a sell-out World Premiere season at Washington DC’s Keegan Theatre. It is directed by Yury Urnov, who won a 2024 Tony Award as co-artistic director of the in Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater (Best Regional Theater) and whose previous directing credits include My Mama and The Full-Scale Invasion which won the 2024 Helen Hayes Award for the best theater production in Washington DC.