From the moment I entered the venue I knew that I was in for something special. I had opted for the ground floor ticket to get the immersive experience and that is something I definitely experienced. The space was laid with long tables covered with white cloths and benches were set out along the sides. Huge projector screens surrounded the audience so we could be surrounded by the revolution. The show opened with news clips about the Euromaiden protests in Ukraine in 2013 playing on the projector screens. These clips gave the audience a background as to why the people of Ukraine decided to revolt which was due to corruption in the government and the pro- Russian and anti European Union policies being put in place.
The cast then came marching out wearing sheep masks and war paint, donned in Ukrainian traditional dress. My interpretation of the masks were that they represented a guerilla war movement. The show intertwined celebration and revolution and joy and suffering together. We were served two Ukrainian meals and were serenaded with Ukrainian folk songs to give the audience a strong sense of what the culture is like. Beside me I saw a few women in the audience singing along and wearing the traditional dress so the company Lemon Bucket Orchestra had successfully attracted Ukrainian natives to come and bear witness to their story.
The cast came to collect members of the audience to dance and join in on the festivities. All of a sudden the mood changes and a group of police march in carrying shields and weapons. The party disperses and the white table cloths are lifted to reveal shields hidden under them. Benches are moved away to build barricades and the revolution begins. The audience on the ground floor are given hard hats and shields to help defend themselves against rioters. It was a very powerful experience as I really felt afraid and could empathise with the protesters that got caught up in these fearful riots. Throughout the show the projector screens had facts and statistics giving information about the protests and violence that occurred, The average age of the numbers that were killed was 24 as it was the youth of Ukraine that wanted better for their country.
The cast did a wonderful job at including the audience and giving clear instructions on what we had to do. I found myself on my knees holding a shield to protect myself from gun shots coming from the police and opposing rioters.
This was an incredibly powerful show that gave me a taste of Ukrainian culture and gave me a deeper awareness of the civil war that is still going on. This is the closest I have ever come to being part of a revolution and the immersive experience really made me feel the terror and the threat of violence that political protesters must feel.
This play is really what theatre should be about, letting the audience feel something, raising awareness of political issues and allowing people to become completely immersed in an experience. I feel so lucky to have seen this show!
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