A nation at war. And a woman who sees how it will end.

by Lesia Ukrainka

4-16 October

Omnibus Theatre, Clapham

We are honoured to partner with the Ukrainian Institute London and Live Canon to present Cassandra by Ukraine’s great playwright Lesia Ukrainka.

Cassandra is a Ukrainian masterpiece about truth, violence and power – on the UK stage for the first time.

First published in 1908, Lesia Ukrainka’s poetic drama retells the story of the Trojan war through the eyes of Cassandra, the fiery prophetess who persists in fighting for the truth when no one will believe her.

Today, Cassandra continues to speak with uncanny immediacy in the contemporary era of post-truth politics, under the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

This premiere is brought to the stage by the Live Canon ensemble, who specialise in working with verse, and who have performed all over the world from Broadway to Abbey Road.

The production is directed by Helen Eastman, whose work has included The Cure at Troy (Delphi International Festival and world tour), Bridgetower (Hackney Empire and UK tour), Fair (Trafalgar Studios) and Bicycle Boy (GDIF and UK tour), and advising on many contemporary productions of Ancient Greek plays, most recently Paradise, by Kae Tempest at the National Theatre.

Directed by Helen Eastman, in an award-winning new translation by Nina Murray.

Nina Murray’s fresh new translation of this monumental work won the Ukrainian Institute London’s 2021 Ukrainian literature in translation prize.

The production is presented by Live Canon and the Ukrainian Institute London, in association with the Polish Cultural Institute, the Lithuanian Cultural Institute, the Goethe-Institut and the Institut Français.

Book here: https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/cassandra/

Please note:

On Saturday 8 October the matinee performance at 3pm will be free for displaced Ukrainians.

Email info@ukrainianinstitute.org.uk to book.

On Sunday 9th October there will be a Post-Show Q&A
Free to ticket-holders

Joining the panel is Helen Eastman (director of Cassandra), Nina Murray (translator of Cassandra), Sasha Dovzhyk (expert on Lesia Ukrainka; lecturer, University College London), Ola Rondiak (Ukrainian artist) and Olesya Khromeychuk (director of Ukrainian Institute London; historian and author).