POSTPONED: NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED
Join Pushkin House for an evening with Alexander Molochnikov, the director of Seagull: True Story and renowned actress Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė, one of the production's stars.
After a tremendously successful Off-Broadway run at La Mama, the performance is coming to London and is set to play at the Marylebone Theatre from 5 September to 11 October 2025. This is darkly humourous drama about an exiled Russian director named Kon who tries to balance artistic freedom with identity and displacement after censorship destroyed his daring reimagining of The Seagull. Blending multimedia, absurdist humour, song, and metatheatre, the play examines the effects of political repression on artists, exploring themes of freedom of expression, identity, and the struggle to create meaningful art in a world where truth bends to those in power.
This special talk will delve into the making of the production, the challenges faced by its creators, and the continuing importance of artistic freedom in turbulent times. This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from the artists about the real-life events that inspired it, political reality, an unflinching commitment to artistic truth, and the creative journey from personal history to stage.
Alexander Molochnikov is a prodigiously talented film, theatre, opera, and ballet director celebrated for his bold, genre-blurring vision. He began his career as a director at the legendary Moscow Art Theatre and went on to stage work at the Bolshoi Theatre – all before turning 33. By the age of 30, he had already directed seven major stage productions and several films.
In 2022, following his public opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he relocated to the United States and made New York City his stage, set, and scene.
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė is a Vilnius-born actress and author, acclaimed for both her screen and stage performances. She has starred in the Grand Prix and Academy Award winning Burnt by the Sun, Seven Years in Tibet, Hannibal Rising, The Bridge and has received multiple international awards and accolades for her acting. Dapkūnaitė’s theatre career spans different countries including the United Kingdom, with performances at Steppenwolf Theatre, Shaftesbury Theatre, The Old Vic, Hampstead Theatre, and the Theatre of Nations.
In February 2022, Ingeborga denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequently left the country.
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