VANYA IS ALIVE was written by Natalia Lizorkina in Russia in March 2022. In November 2022, a group of Russian artists scattered around the world staged a reading of the play in Paris for the playwright festival Lubimovka - Écho de Lubimovka à Paris. This powerful anti war text talks of universal and timeless values of freedom, truth and compassion. Today, the work continues and we are thrilled to present the show to international audiences, a way for us to share the questions brought up by the play and to make our voices heard.
SYNOPSIS Everything is alright in Alya's life. The spring has come, the sun is shining and her son Vanya will soon be back home. He is currently where "peace" is going on. But the day she learns that Vanya "has not" been captured, a long journey begins that will lead Alya to see the truth. A new Russian play brilliantly blends an absurdist, Beckettian touch with the theme of the individual protesting against the system. A poignant account of one mother's destiny which puts at heart the question of personal responsibility. ARTISTIC TEAM (read about us here):
Text - Natalia Lizorkina Director, translator - Ivanka Polchenko Assistant director - Elena Gordienko Cast - Nikolay Mulakov With participation of Ksenia Peretrukhina and Olga Sukhovey Photo credits - Vlada Nebo Graphic designer - Dasha Burleshina SUPPORTED BY Lubimovka Festival, Pushkin House, Exchange Theatre |
"Unsettling, heart-breaking and remarkably compelling." THE SKINNY ★★★★★ "Its universalist themes resonate with brutal regimes across place and time." THE FINANCIAL TIMES ★★★★ A modern tragic tale, told by Russian artists in exile in 2023. A tour de force by actor Nikolay Mulakov." THE EDINBURGH REPORTER ★★★★★ "Vanya Is Alive is not just important; it is something that everyone needs to be aware of right now." BROADWAY WORLD ★★★★ "There’s unspoken horror at the heart of Vanya Is Alive, for Vanya, for his mother, and – let’s not forget – for the people of Ukraine." THE WEE REVIEW ★★★★ "This is theatre at its best – a lone voice in the dark, moving against the tide." THE THEATRE TIMES "The staging is unforgiving — one spotlight and the lone actor on the floor space directly in front of the spectators. Mulakov … is a compelling performer, whose deadpan delivery masks reserves of deep emotion and makes moments of humor startling." THE MOSCOW TIMES "Performances such as Vanya Is Alive can inspire a better, more ambitious (Fringe) Festival; one truly worthy of the original mission." Richard Demarco |