Thu 15/1 20:00
Archa – Centre of Documentary Theatre: Eight Short Compositions on the Lives of Ukrainians for a Western Audience

An international theatre production based on texts by the young Ukrainian author Anastasiia Kosodii, directed by Jana Svobodová, in which the political becomes deeply personal. A delicate yet piercing work that examines ordinary moments collapsing under the crushing pressure of war. A single performance in the Czech Republic before its presentation at the Push International Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver, Canada.

In Eight Short Compositions on the Lives of Ukrainians for a Western Audience, the political becomes deeply personal. Drawing on the texts of Ukrainian playwright Anastasiia Kosodii, the creators shape a delicate yet striking work focused on everyday moments falling apart under the weight of war — boiling water, harvesting fruit, sleeping in one’s own bed. Across languages and borders, five performers from different European countries come together to honour the small acts of living that persist in the shadow of violence. Through projected text, music, movement, and light, they weave a collective reflection on distance, empathy, and responsibility — on what it means to stand alongside those whose lives are threatened by aggression. With quiet sincerity, the work invites us to listen: to the inner grain of the voice, to the tremor of solidarity, to the fragile beauty of life that persists despite the noise of devastation.

Archa – Centre of Documentary Theatre builds on the work that its founders, Ondřej Hrab and Jana Svobodová, carried out for more than 30 years at the renowned Divadlo Archa in Prague. The Centre operates both locally and internationally. It collaborates actively with international theatres and artists as well as with the rural community in the village of Dvakačovice, where a significant part of its work is now based. It produces theatre performances, organises the International Summer School of Documentary Theatre, and hosts artistic residencies and workshops in the Czech Republic and abroad. Its work focuses on documentary and socially specific theatre projects that emphasise collaboration between professional artists and representatives of diverse social groups.

Concept and direction: Jana Svobodová / text: Anastasiia Kosodii / dramaturgy: Ondřej Hrab / Czech translation: Miroslav Tomek / English translation: Pavlo Hrytsak / co-authors and performers: Rosa Berman (NL), Amanda Doherty (IE), Lotta Karlsson (NO), Zov Vélez (GB), Mariia Kosiichuk (UA) (from audio recording) / music: Lotta Karlsson, Rosa Berman / English text editing: Zov Vélez / sound design: Jan Sedláček, Lotta Karlsson / light design: Pavel Kotlík / video: Martin Krupa

Anastasiia Kosodii is a playwright and director based in Kyiv. Her plays have been read and staged in theatres across Ukraine and in many Western European countries. Before February 2022, Anastasiia frequently collaborated as a dramaturg and cultural manager with NGOs in cities located on the front line of the war between Ukraine and Russia in eastern Ukraine. After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, she temporarily relocated to Germany. From there, she organised a series of “Ukrainian readings” titled O válce – ukrajinští dramatičtí herci vyprávějí o životě během invaze Ruska (“On the War – Ukrainian Dramatic Actors Speak About Life During the Russian Invasion”). These readings took place, for example, at the Royal Court Theatre in London, Münchner Kammerspiele, Gorki Theater in Berlin, NTM Nationaltheater in Mannheim, Schauspielhaus in Vienna, Staatstheater Hannover, and ETA Hoffmann Theater in Bamberg. In autumn 2022, Anastasiia began working as a resident playwright (Hausautorin) at the National Theatre in Mannheim.

Jana Svobodová is a theatre director and founder of the International Summer School of Documentary Theatre. In her work, she combines authentic stories with video art, music, light design and modern technologies. Her recent productions Ti, kdo mluví sami za sebe (2021), Perché non Io (2022) and Osm krátkých kompozic ze života Ukrajinců pro západní publikum (2023) focus on the theme of personal freedom. Her projects have been presented at festivals in the Czech Republic as well as in the USA, Japan, South Africa, Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia and other countries. The production Obyčejní lidé (2018), created together with Chinese choreographer and dancer Wen Hui, was presented in the main programmes of the 2019 Festival d’Avignon and the 2019 Festival d’Automne in Paris.

Rosa Berman is a contemporary music-theatre maker, performer and violinist from the Netherlands. With her violin and voice, she creates philosophical and documentary-based performances. She specialises in site-specific musical theatre, performing in forests, on streets, in people’s homes and at various festivals. She is currently an intern at Theaterschip in Deventer and produces performances in collaboration with Oostpool, Theater Gajes and Deventer op Stelten. Rosa is also a member of the Dutch music-theatre collective Collective RAM and the contemporary string quartet Four Frogs in the Woods.

Amanda Doherty is an award-winning actor and politically engaged theatre-maker. In her original work, she draws on the stories and experiences of oppressed communities, exploring themes such as resilience and vulnerability. As a socially committed artist from Northern Ireland, she has travelled across Europe and the United States. Amanda trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Her screen credits include The Fall (BBC), Seanchaí (BBC NI),Scúp (BBC NI), and her stage credits include Bird About Town, Faust, Girl in the Machine, and the upcoming feature film Pulcinella.

Lotta Karlsson is a Swedish–Norwegian multidisciplinary performer with a background in classical piano, trained at Barratt Due musikkinstitutt (Oslo), Universität der Künste (Berlin) and NTNU Institutt for musikk (Trondheim), as well as in songwriting at the University of Agder (Kristiansand). She creates innovative projects both in the music world and for the stage, with a strong interest in blending classical music with electronics. Her stage work in this area includes electronic opera and several productions for young audiences and adults. She also releases music under her artistic project The Turning of the Tide, which focuses on social issues.

Mariia Kosiichuk is a project manager in contemporary theatre at Jam Factory Art Center in Lviv. She works in movement research and is a member of the Physical Theatre Studio in Lviv. Mariia also works as an author of audio descriptions and has long experience teaching the Ukrainian language. She is a writer and researcher of Hutsul literature and participates in a range of both artistic and inclusive projects in Ukraine. She considers her main duty now to remain in Ukraine and support others. Her voice appears in the performance via audio recording.

Zov Vélez live and work in the United Kingdom. Their artistic practice is based on layering performance styles and unconventional movement. Their work addresses the borderlands of human experience and the realities shaped by social inequality. They explore how the body can change and transform. Their work reflects the experiences of outsiders, including gender nonconformity and queer self-awareness. Zov are currently a member of the dance-theatre company RedRoom in Bristol.

Jan Sedláček is a sound designer and musician. After completing a BA (Hons) in Music Technology at the University of Bedfordshire and a Master’s degree in Audio Production at the University of Westminster in London, he returned to Prague in 2014 to pursue a career in audio engineering and sound design. Since then, he has collaborated with numerous respected Czech cultural institutions, audiovisual collectives and music groups. Since 2018, Jan has been co-owner of the recording studio Mr. Wombat in the centre of Prague.

Pavel Kotlík is a lighting designer and technician. Since 2011 he has collaborated with Divadlo Archa on various projects directed by VerTeDance and Jana Svobodová. He designed the lighting for the production of Min Tanaka. In 2012 he received the Award for Lighting Design for his work with VerTeDance. Within the professional community, he is known as an tireless creator of visual stage compositions, able to paint surfaces and highlight details like few others.

www.archadoku.cz

The performance is presented by Archa – Centre of Documentary Theatre in collaboration with Divadlo 29.

admission: 300 CZK (students and holders of disability ID receive a 50% discount at the door)
 
Předprodej akce