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Belarus Free Theatre: Twitter night and post-show q&a – post your questions Belarus Free Theatre: Twitter night and post-show q&a – post your questions
(4 months later)
In the six years since they first burst on to the British theatre scene, working almost entirely in exile and facing regular death-threats, Belarus Free Theatre have not only campaigned with unflagging energy about the ongoing political situation in their homeland – they've produced some of the most potent drama I've ever seen.In the six years since they first burst on to the British theatre scene, working almost entirely in exile and facing regular death-threats, Belarus Free Theatre have not only campaigned with unflagging energy about the ongoing political situation in their homeland – they've produced some of the most potent drama I've ever seen.
From their harrowing adaptation of Harold Pinter, which began life in Leeds in 2007 – later described by the New York Times as "a startling and shaming presence in these United States" – to Minsk, 2011, their sardonic, sexualised take on life in present-day Belarus, everything BFT have done has felt provocative, powerful and unpredictable. Last year, they trod the boards at the Globe, bringing a scything political edge – not to mention a dangerous eye for comedy – to Shakespeare's King Lear.From their harrowing adaptation of Harold Pinter, which began life in Leeds in 2007 – later described by the New York Times as "a startling and shaming presence in these United States" – to Minsk, 2011, their sardonic, sexualised take on life in present-day Belarus, everything BFT have done has felt provocative, powerful and unpredictable. Last year, they trod the boards at the Globe, bringing a scything political edge – not to mention a dangerous eye for comedy – to Shakespeare's King Lear.
Their new show, Trash Cuisine (their first entirely in English, staged at London's Young Vic), tackles the thorny subject of the death penalty in Belarus, which, according to a piece we ran on the site yesterday, is "conducted with a barbarism that would horrify the electrocutioner in Louisiana". My colleague Michael Billington called the piece "a testament to [the company's] ability to invest indignant protest with artistic imagination".Their new show, Trash Cuisine (their first entirely in English, staged at London's Young Vic), tackles the thorny subject of the death penalty in Belarus, which, according to a piece we ran on the site yesterday, is "conducted with a barbarism that would horrify the electrocutioner in Louisiana". My colleague Michael Billington called the piece "a testament to [the company's] ability to invest indignant protest with artistic imagination".
All of which means we're thrilled to be devoting the latest Guardian / Young Vic tweet night to the work of Belarus Free Theatre. As usual we'll be watching this evening's show together – if you're quick there are still tickets available here – then doing an on-stage discussion immediately afterwards. I'll be joined by BFT co-founder and artistic director Natalia Kaliada, leading human rights lawyer and founder of Reprieve, Clive Stafford Smith, and BFT supporter and Reprieve board member, Vivienne Westwood.All of which means we're thrilled to be devoting the latest Guardian / Young Vic tweet night to the work of Belarus Free Theatre. As usual we'll be watching this evening's show together – if you're quick there are still tickets available here – then doing an on-stage discussion immediately afterwards. I'll be joined by BFT co-founder and artistic director Natalia Kaliada, leading human rights lawyer and founder of Reprieve, Clive Stafford Smith, and BFT supporter and Reprieve board member, Vivienne Westwood.
There's plenty on our plate: BFT's past and future, and the fate of their supporters back in Belarus; the current political situation there, under the autocratic rule of president Alexander Lukashenko; and the role of the death penalty and torture in this and other similarly undemocratic states. Theatrically, I'm fascinated by their process as a group, and how they bring such energetic visual flair to their shows. Politically, I'm sure we'll also be discussing the big one: whether art can really make a dent in dictatorship.There's plenty on our plate: BFT's past and future, and the fate of their supporters back in Belarus; the current political situation there, under the autocratic rule of president Alexander Lukashenko; and the role of the death penalty and torture in this and other similarly undemocratic states. Theatrically, I'm fascinated by their process as a group, and how they bring such energetic visual flair to their shows. Politically, I'm sure we'll also be discussing the big one: whether art can really make a dent in dictatorship.
If you can make it tonight – please do say hello. If you can't, we'll be tweeting about the event using the Twitter hashtag #trashcuisine (you can follow me on @andydickson, and we're also on @GuardianStage). If you have any questions for Natalia, Clive or Vivienne, do post them below, or pop them on Twitter using that hashtag. They could find their way on stage ...If you can make it tonight – please do say hello. If you can't, we'll be tweeting about the event using the Twitter hashtag #trashcuisine (you can follow me on @andydickson, and we're also on @GuardianStage). If you have any questions for Natalia, Clive or Vivienne, do post them below, or pop them on Twitter using that hashtag. They could find their way on stage ...
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