JADAR

★★★★☆

Mariupol Drama, an original play written by Oleksandr Gavrosh, inspired by true accounts of the events taking place in Ukraine across 2022, has made its UK Premiere in Manchester at HOME Theatre. The drama tells the true story of the citizens hiding inside the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol following the Russian air strike and invasion of Ukraine. This piece of theatre is based on testimonies from the performers with direction and musical design by Yevhen Tyshchuk, a Ukrainian artist. All of the performers on stage survived this atrocity. Mariupol Drama is a rarity in modern theatre that should be seen, valued and reflected on by people across every walk of life. 

As people filled the audience, there were only four chairs on a relatively blank set; above the stage were two washing lines pinned with a variety of bright skirts, shirts and jumpers. The only other piece of set was a square made from hazard tape that the actors intentionally stepped into. The set was simple and raw, with a giant screen illuminating performers from behind. On this screen were translations of dialogue and videos taken by these performers from their life in Ukraine.

The entirety of this production was in Ukrainian, allowing these brilliant actors to relay their story in their native language. The script did not follow a traditional three-act structure, instead focusing on small heart breaks – like the display of abandoned handmade clay sculptures left behind – through spoken word, verbatim theatre and monologue work.

The design of both light and sound was nearly flawless, with only a few mis-timed dialogue translations. This was only a small flaw in the piece that did not affect the production, however, the fast-paced dialogue might be difficult for some viewers to read. On the other hand, the quick pace could also be explained due to the urgency of the situation. We have become accustomed to media at our fingertips, media to comfort us, and media within our control. This story was painful, important and urgent.

The play is a highly detailed and scripted mix of verbatim theatre, detailed monologues and immersive performances painting the picture of a portion of their life in Ukraine, including a deeply impactful operatic piece performed by Vira Lebedynska. The show was performed by four survivors, blurring the lines between authentic reactions to reliving their past and honest, but scripted, performances.

In particular, Olena Bila should be praised for her performance as she carefully navigated audiences through her memory. It is a remarkably difficult thing to perform in an autobiographical sense for any performer, let alone with so much authentic and raw emotion pouring out, and on such a deeply traumatising tragedy. It was unclear to audiences whether these characters were acting or deeply immersed into the narrative they were telling. This made for a particularly harrowing piece as you get to watch each performer deal with their trauma, and relive it, in various ways. Olena Bila was angry, scared and deeply saddened while her husband, Ihor Kytrysh, gave a calm, stoic and devastated approach. Their contrast in acting played into the narrative beautifully, showcasing the wide range of human reactions in trauma.

This piece of theatre was filled with show-stopping moments, small, choreographed moments bringing audience members to tears, shifts in the set, videos playing in the background, and small moments of intimacy that broke down audiences. Particularly, a small moment between Ihor and Olena, where she says, “Every time we held hands, it felt like saying goodbye,” and Ihor, ever so subtly, nods.

One devastating moment, that personally broke me, was when Matvi Kytrysh, son of Ihor and Olena, used chalk on the stage to write. A few moments went by where audiences could only hear the chalk before he stood up, painfully looking out to the audience, while his Olena Bila pleaded to the audience, “We wrote ‘CHILDREN’ in Russian outside of the theatre.’ One of the lines that stuck with me after this show was when Bila turns, with a tear stained face, to the audience to say, “‘[W]hat were you doing in Mariupol?’ ‘We were living there.’” 

One of the most important details I found was the use of lighting, house lights barely dimming over the audience, letting the performers look directly at you, immersing you into the story completely. There was no place to hide. Audiences had to face the horror in front of them, aided through video and highlighted by sweeping musical notes, engineered by Roman Borchuk. Alongside the design was a particularly harrowing moment around halfway through the piece where the lights ‘failed’ and Olena Bila begged audience members to turn on their flashlights. As the stage stayed dark, her cries got louder and her anxiety increased. Only when audiences succumbed to their phones did she calm down, detailing her memory of claustrophobia in their time in hiding.

The entire show was breathtaking. It was a nearly flawless production with remarkably talented performers. Each performer should be praised for their emotional control on stage – being able to be both present with audience members and relive a deeply traumatic experience. The production did not feel forced in any aspect and delivered a high-quality performance bringing audiences together. There were a few moments where dialogue was overlooked and projected translations were quickly changed over, causing confusion only a handful of times. There were moments the music was swelling so loudly; it overtook the authenticity on stage.

This piece, proudly devised from true testimonies from the survivors, does not allow for a lot of additional allegories. However, the devastating drama does demand for an understanding on the importance of theatre. Each actor was a leader in their community, volunteering and performing at the theatre they would face their greatest tragedy in. The place that kept them safe for so long was this theatre, and despite their traumatic experience, they came back to theatre. This piece is a true marvel at how important the theatre truly is – how it can be used to heal, how it can be used to fight and how it can be used to emote. Every member of the team should be praised for their storytelling. Pieces like this one transcend through critiques of modern theatre and should be highlighted for their ability to connect the audience, the people in their community and retell experiences.

The only regret I have for this production was seeing a single empty seat in the audience. I truly believe this show is a piece you will only be graced by once in a lifetime. This piece demands an audience that is attune, open and present. Each performer knew how important this story is, and it came across in every single moment. It cannot be overstated how present the performers were with each other and with the audience, masterfully showcasing dramatic skills that drama professionals take years – if not a lifetime – to learn. It felt like I was being told their stories directly, as if I was sitting across from them in a restaurant and not in an auditorium with hundreds of people. It is truly a rarity to come across theatre like Mariupol Drama. If there is a show to see this year, it should be this one.

This production highlighted The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) and urged audience members to look at their website. Additional resources can be found online.

Mariupol Drama runs at HOME (Theatre 1) until January 18.