In an age of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and complete shutdown of freedom of speech at home, the future of theatre in Russia is bleak. As theatre is instrumentalised by the state in line with its “patriotic cultural policy”, prominent directors and writers have been forced into exile. Putin has effectively cancelled Russian culture.

But what about outside of Russia? How can we portray Russia onstage? Should we?

Join the Pushkin Club for an evening with Erica Whyman (acting artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, director of My Neighbour Totoro and Hamnet) and Roxy Cook (writer and director of A Woman Walks Into a Bank).

On the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Pushkin House hosts the reading of three recently written anti-war plays. Playwrights are determined to speak out about the tragedy of the war, document its horrors and implications, understand the current situation, and seek ways to oppose the rhetoric of animosity and the legitimisation of Russia's imperial aspirations.

The plays will be read in Russian with translation provided via projection.

The Art Seen and Pushkin House present an opportunity to watch the recording of one of the recent pieces by prominent theatre director Dmitry Krymov “Everyone is Here”. After having been practically banned in Russia and all of his productions cancelled Krymov has now left the country. Join us online on Saturday 19 November at 1pm for the Q&A with the author. The recording of “Everyone is Here” will be available from Wednesday 16 November till Sunday 20 November.

Internationally acclaimed theatre company HUNCHtheatre, together with Pushkin House, proudly present the debut of English-language play 'One Day It Will Happen' by Russian playwright and journalist Tatyana Movshevich. This event will launch HUNCHtheatre’s new season championing new independent theatre voices. After the staged reading there will be a post-show discussion with award-winning BBC presenter Lucy Ash in conversation with Tatyana Movshevich and HUNCHtheatre's co-founding director Vladimir Shcherban.

For World Theatre Day 2021 we speak to Fraser Grace, author of BLISS, forthcoming in publication from Methuen

Fraser Grace’s new play is based on The River Potudan, a short story by Andrey Platonov (1899-1951), and was rapturously received at the Platonov International Festival in Voronezh in 2019. The play’s publication this month marks the seventieth anniversary of Platonov’s death from tuberculosis, and almost 100 years since the events depicted in Platonov’s story.

A night of cutting-edge Russian contemporary literature, with the authors, translators and editors of a new issue of Words Without Borders.

Join the editors, translators and authors for an online roundtable on subjects such as the Russian literary scene in Western European cities, anti-war poetry by women and translating web-based literature, followed by a bilingual reading.

“Genius does not create. It reflects.”

Join Pushkin House for a preview staging of Anita Brokmeier and Anna Clart’s new play, about the forgotten female voices and lived experiences Leo Tolstoy co-opted to write Anna Karenina. Then, watch a Q&A with the creators and actors. Live in-person tickets and streaming available.