East European documentary theatre productions on themes of migration in Russia, the UK, and Bulgaria

GRAD is pleased to announce the next in our series of East European documentary theatre programmes. Between 9 October and 13 November GRAD will host three documentary theatre productions on themes of migration in Russia, the UK, and Bulgaria

UZBEK by Talgat Batalov
23 October, 7:30 pm

Uzbek is an autobiographical solo-show that tells the story of Batalov’s own experience immigrating from Tashkent to Moscow at the age of 19. In the show, Batalov describes how he came to understand his own national identity as a Muscovite-Uzbek of Tatar descent. Performed in the style of ‘documentary stand-up’ Uzbek deploys a distinctly sardonic tone in its depiction of the corruption and absurdity of modern Russian bureaucracy. 

BLOODY EAST EUROPEANS by Molodyi teatr

9 October, 7:30 pm

The London-based Ukrainian community theatre group Molodyi teatr presents their musical-satire about the lives of Eastern European immigrants in the UK. Combining comedy, tragedy, Soviet anthems, Ukrainian folk ballads and 70s disco hits, Bloody East Europeans asks who exactly these people are, what it is they want, and how to pronounce their peculiar names. 

WE ARE THE RUBBISH FROM EASTERN EUROPE by Theatre Replika
12 and 13 November, 7:30 pm

We are the Rubbish from Eastern Europe merges two documentary theatre projects. The first, ‘Rubbish’, tells the stories of people in Sofia who live off the contents of the city’s rubbish bins. The second, ‘Exodus’, depicts the lives of people who want to emigrate or, in some cases have already emigrated, from Bulgaria. The investigates the value of everyday objects and asks key questions about what matters most in the ongoing effort to sort through the lasting legacy of Socialism in the contemporary Bulgarian context. 

For more info see http://www.grad-london.com/whatson/peripheral-visions/#theatre_programme