MARIUPOL DRAMA Will Make its UK Premiere at HOME, Manchester

Ukrainian play MARIUPOL DRAMA will have its UK premiere at HOME, Manchester where it will play between Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 January 2025.

MARIUPOL DRAMA is a poignant testimony from actors who were sheltering with over 1000 others inside the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol during the tragic events of March 2022, when Russian forces invaded the city and bombed the theatre. This 60-minute play captures the most intense episodes of their stories, allowing the audience to directly experience that reality.

The stories of survival are recounted and performed by the theatre's head of music and Drama Department Vira Lebedynska, actors Olena Bila and Ihor Kytrysh, and Olena and Ihor's son Matvii. Personal items they brought to the shelter are integrated into the production, along with video footage captured on their phones.

Actor Olena Bila said, “Mariupol Drama is an account of our creative life in the city of Mariupol, and the cultural development of the city before the full-scale Russian invasion distorted our peaceful life. In bringing it to the UK we hope to convey our personal testimonies about these events, to share a fair and true story of the life of the people of Mariupol, and to say that the city existed, and there was a theatre. Our theatre is alive, our theatre is fighting. It is restored not to cry, but to fight.”

Iain Gillie of PW Productions said, “The actor David MacCreedy came across this play on an aid trip to Ukraine, he asked us if we'd help him get the play to the UK as he felt it needed to be shared with as wide an audience as possible. It's an incredibly powerful piece and we're proud to have helped to get it to Manchester.”

MARIUPOL DRAMA is written by Oleksandr Gavrosh, based on accounts from the actors, with direction and music design by Ukraine Artist Yevhen Tyshchuk.

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