Russian Documentary Theatre Teatr.doc's TORTURE Comes To The Royal Court

The Royal Court Theatre welcomes for the first time Moscow's legendary Teatr.Doc for a one-off performance of Torture. An urgent piece of verbatim theatre looking at the use of torture as a weapon in the ongoing Penza Case. Torture is directed by Zarema Zaudinova and is written and performed by Alexey Polikhovich, Alexey Sutuga, Yegor Skovoroda, Maxim Pakhomov and Zarema Zaudoniva. It will be accompanied by a live soundtrack by cellist Alina Anufrienko.

During Russia's 2018 World Cup, the FSB arrested 11 young antifascists and anarchists linked only by playing an online game. Once arrested, these boys vanished for two days. Their relatives, lawyers and human rights activists could find no trace of them. When human rights activists finally located them in an FSB prison they were seen to have bruises, injuries and traces of electric shock. All those involved had signed confessions under torture linking them to a terrorist cell, but later they refused to testify.

Teatr.doc was created in 2002 by playwrights and directors lead by husband and wife artistic directors, Elena Gremina and Mikhail Ugarov. Gremina was introduced to the idea of verbatim theatre through a workshop lead by the Royal Court's late International Director Elyse Dodgson in the 1990s. Teatr.doc's work has led the way for many emerging Russian theatremakers anxious to expose the truth and make sense of their experiences. Constantly attacked by the authorities, Teatr.doc have remained at the cutting edge of Russian theatre for two decades, staging challenging and innovative verbatim theatre.

Russian translator and author John Farndon comments;

"Teatr.doc was born following a remarkable workshop in Moscow on verbatim theatre led by the Royal Court's late international director Elyse Dodgson 20 years ago. So it is hugely significant for Doc coming to the Royal Court with their first show since the sudden deaths of twin leaders Elena Gremina and Mikhail Ugarova last year, leaving the company's very survival in the balance."

In April, 11 young defendants in the Penza case will go on trial in Moscow.

Tickets for the event are free.

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