Playwright Natal’ya Vorozhbit and director Andrei Mai spent three months on the Maidan, Kiev’s Independence Square, talking to people from all walks of life: students, Cossacks, doctors and volunteers, gathering their testimonies to create a verbatim piece that would tell their story to the world.
Nata’ya Vorozhbit said:
“There were so many writers, musicians, artists and directors all working on the Maidan. The level of involvement was striking. We were performing our duty to society, as well as to art. Our task has been to capture the reality, to challenge stereotypes and open people’s eyes to what is happening in Ukraine, as outside Ukraine there are so many misconceptions.”
Ukraine’s unrest began in November, when President Yanukovych refused to sign a cooperation deal with the EU, choosing instead to create a customs union with Russia. Huge crowds of people took to the Maidan square to protest, with police clashes with protestors escalating throughout December and January. In February, thousands more gathered on the square to demand that the president step down.
A week of bloody protests followed, in which 88 people were killed and hundreds injured when uniformed snipers open fired at demonstrators in the square. In a day of dramatic events, the protestors took control of presidential buildings, as President Yanukovych fled the city and Parliament installed an interim president and an election date set for 25 May.
This staged reading will be directed by Vicky Featherstone for three performances only.
A returns queue will run from an hour before each performance. Please call Box Office on 020 7565 5000 for more details.
Maidan: Voices from the Uprising is presented as part of International Playwrights: A Genesis Foundation Project.
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