THE LAST OF THE SOVIETS
Two Russian artists in exile reveal the cruelty of Soviet life with a good dose of dark humour. The award-winning Spitfire return to Edinburgh with a project influenced by the books of Nobel Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich. Chilling jokes, the absurdity of the situation, and efforts at trivialisation are the key features of a production built on the testimonies of witnesses of wars, the Chernobyl disaster and the collapse of the USSR. Live cinema employing puppet animation and starring food, inspired by works of Jan Švankmajer, provides fitting stylisation.
A multigenre project about the power of the powerless influenced by the books of Světlana Alexejovič, who won the Novel Prize for literature.
Director, concept: Petr Boháč
Cast: Inga Mikshina-Zotova, Roman Mikshin-Zotov
Technical support: Martin Hůla, Filip Horn
Production managers: Veronika Ilíková, Barbora Faifr Repická
Cast: Inga Mikshina-Zotova, Roman Mikshin-Zotov
Technical support: Martin Hůla, Filip Horn
Production managers: Veronika Ilíková, Barbora Faifr Repická
Reviews:
“…a performance all about what can and can not be said in totalitarian regime.”
The Guardian
“…the stark and relentlessly uncompromising sense of humour permeates everything happening on stage, creating a striking, moody piece of work which is as captivating as a disaster happening in real time.”
The Scotsman
“…chilling, darkly comin “news”. ..”
The Telegraph
Date:
18. 4. 2023