The atrocities suffered by the people of Ukraine at the hands of the Russian army since 2022 are such that we as an audience can only imagine. What Mariupol Drama conveys so well is the very real human cost of the war, and how the majority of those affected by this and similar conflicts tend to be those not directly involved. Told by four actors who survived the siege of Mariupol, a couple Ihor and Olena, and their son Matvii, as well as an elderly lady called Vira, they share their experiences of attempting to find shelter inside the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre, however, what was meant to be a central hub of community, acceptance and safety soon turns into a battleground, putting hundreds of civilians’ lives at risk.
In many ways it isn’t easy to put into words one’s reaction to the real, raw and unabridged fear these people must have experienced during such enormity, especially given that their experience is condensed into a mere 60 minutes. However, what was absolutely evident was the heart-on-sleeve passion with which the Ukrainian quartet told their story, and everyone who was present to bear witness was fully with them all the way. Our collective hearts went out to these extraordinarily brave individuals, as they re-lived tragedy that many of us couldn’t bring ourselves to fathom.
Though not always smooth sailing, with a few slightly bumpy transitions, the music and sound design still underlined everything beautifully, and the video elements did well to support the collective storytelling, with a discernible build of tension and drama. There was one moment in particular towards the end, when a plane was spotted by Vira, during which the clothes line adorning the upper part of the stage fell, the lighting turned red, and every heart was pumping fit to burst. Director Yevhen Tyshchuk deserves a great deal of credit for managing to balance this so well, to make us feel even a fraction of the anxiety the people of Ukraine have experienced instils in us a developed sense of understanding of what they’ve been through.
But it was the individuals telling the story who were at the heart of this piece, no single performer was centre stage, each expressed themselves individually and in turn, and it was smooth and seamless storytelling through some terrific acting. It was clear though that each was channelling their trauma and grief into their performance, and used this to wonderful effect, as we, through their performances, experienced but a fraction of the true horror and dread of such a terrible ordeal. Not only this, but it acts as a stark reminder that we, though unintentionally, tend to view conflicts like this through rose-tinted glasses, and that the reality is far more harrowing than we could ever imagine; this play goes partway to helping us understand more clearly.
Mariupol Drama runs at HOME until 18th January.
★★★★☆ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Tiberi Shiutiv
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