Tues 29-Wed 30 May
words: EMMA WILFORD
Although perhaps not for those looking for a light-hearted evening at the theatre, Minsk 2011 provides a unique and interesting commentary on a country that still remains bound by an authoritative regime.
Having been a success at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Minsk 2011: A Reply To Kathy Aker from award-winning company Belarus Free Theatre chronicles life in the communist nation, where oppression clashes violently with people’s desires. Portraying Minsk as a “sexy city”, it explores attitudes to sexuality under dictatorship – from gay rights to strip clubs – and how even looking at someone suggestively can cause friction with the government. In a country where homosexuality remains severely limited and sexual exploitation is not uncommon, Minsk 2011 is described as a “lament for a city that has lost its way”.
Banned in their own country, the Belarus Free Theatre was created in 2005, when husband and wife Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin were joined by Vladmir Shcherban. Having been arrested, forced out of their jobs and eventually exiled for producing theatre, this revolutionary theatre company have managed to go on to create award-winning work.
Performed in Russian with English subtitles, Minsk 2011 is a response to avant-garde author Kathy Acker’s story New York City In 1979 that is set to provide a blunt and emotional recollection of a situation many of us are most likely not even aware of.
Admission: £12-£20. Info: 02920646900 / www.shermancymru.co.uk