“You cannot stay above the fight,” says Natalia Koliada, the incredibly determined producer of Belarus Free Theatre. “We have no choice. When people are being kidnapped and killed, then you have to take action to change things in your country.”
The latest news to hit the festival office this week was that Belarus Free Theatre, the amazing underground theatre company from “Europe’s last dictatorship”, would like to bring a new show about their friend who was “disappeared”, in addition to their three productions already planned for this year’s festival! How can we refuse? These Belarusians are so keen, we’ll find a way.
While we take for granted our freedom of speech, thought and assembly, the citizens of Belarus are still, in 2008, living under an oppressive and dangerous regime, led by the dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Theatre artists critical of modern-day Belarus are banned, forcing those determined to exercise freedom of speech underground, rehearsing and performing in secret locations, with audience members calling an anonymous telephone number to establish the venue for the performance. The Belarus Free Theatre have been banned, but they are determined to continue speaking out by presenting work by banned playwrights, organising master-classes for younger playwrights and critics, and seeking support for their work through international festivals such as Kilkenny Arts Festival.
But the oppression doesn’t stop at censorship: people are being “disappeared” – kidnapped and murdered. People like Anatoly Krasovskaya, a close friend of Natalia and her husband, Nikolai Khalezin, who founded Belarus Free Theatre (BFT), and the subject of their latest play ‘Discover Love’. Nikolai himself has been arrested many times and imprisoned for organising civil resistance actions. A number of the members of BFT have been fired from their jobs with state-run theatres because of their involvement with the collective and Vladimir Scherban, their director, even lost his job and his home.
Yet this has not dampened their spirit or quelled the fire in their bellies: “All of us have children and we want them to live in a free country,” says Natalia. “But we need support from the rest of the world. Europe needs to understand that Belarus is the last dictatorship in Europe and only when this ends will Europe be completely free of dictators for the first time. There is hope. Look at Ingrid Betancourt. We included her story in ‘Discover Love’ and, after our opening night performance, we heard that she had been freed. It was an unbelievable feeling.”
In 2007, the group were awarded the Human Rights Prize of the French Republic, for their work to advance freedom of expression. They have also earned the respect and support of leading international figures such as Vaclav Havel, who knows all about living under an oppressive regime, playwrights Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard and Mark Ravenhill, and even Mick Jagger.
“Vaclav Havel, our patron, teaches us to speak out, loudly and openly and honestly. It’s the only way to stop dictatorship.”
It’s also important to Natalia and her colleagues that their artistic voice is heard. While audiences are shocked at the distressing regime the members of the company have to endure, they are also astounded by their work, which is as innovative as it is devastating. The Guardian in its review of ‘Being Harold Pinter’ gave five stars to their “dazzling production”. Natalia emphasises: “It’s vitally important for us because only by experiencing a very high quality artistic product can our fellow Belarusians begin to be proud of their nation and their culture.”
Natalia and her colleagues clearly love their country. Rather than leaving for a better life for themselves, they want to make it better for everyone there. “I cry when I go abroad because my parents are not with me and they will never live the normal, calm life we witness overseas. But if theatre makes people think and inspires them to change the situation in Belarus, this proves to us that we must continue our work. We believe when people in Kilkenny see our performances, they will understand what we’re trying to say.”
By Staff Reporter of Kilkenny People, 25 July 2008
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