Written in March 2022, Vanya Is Alive is considered to be the most important play in Russian since the start of the full-scale invasion. The show was premiered in August 2023 at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. It won the audience recognition and received excellent reviews from renowned media outlets such as The Financial Times, The Scotsman, The Edinburgh Reporter and many others. Presented by Russian artists in exile due to their anti-war position.
A mother of a mobilised Russian soldier plunges into the abyss as she struggles to comb through state propaganda and lies. Where lie the limits of personal responsibility? Can an individual stand up against the system? Echoing the actual political situation in Russia, this dark tale reflects on the price of truth and freedom with a touch of absurdity and disarming sincerity. A look at the country grappling with the reality of war and repressions.
Credits:
Writer - Natalia Lizorkina
Director, translator - Ivanka Polchenko
Cast - Nikolay Mulakov
With the participation of Elena Gordienko, Ksenia Peretrukhina and Olga Sukhovey
Photo credits – Vlada Nebo
Produced with the support of Pushkin House and Exchange Theatre.
“British theatre would be completely stymied without tiny, under-resourced venues such as CPT, which are a critical part of the theatre ecology.”
Lyn Gardner Stagedoor
