2011 fringe first Winners, Belarus Free Theatre's actors have defied the odds to bring, Trash Cuisine, to the Pleasance Grand at the Edinburgh Festival this August.
Fresh from a sell-out 3 week run at the Young Vic theatre in London, and performances at the Swedish Biennale and Mayfest Festivals, Trash Cuisine challenges capital punishment in our contemporary world, where 95 countries still carry out the death penalty.
"The severity of the show's content, is counterpointed by the grace, athleticism and skill of its eight performers and by the sweetness of Arkadiy Yushin's accompanying music." - Michael Billington
WE NEED YOUR HELP
to get our Belarusian actors to Edinburgh, as well as other members of the cast and creative team.
SPONSOR AN ACTOR
You can sponsor an actor or company member by donating today!
Please help us get to Edinburgh by supporting our actors travel and accommodation so that they can spread the word and end capital punishment in Belarus, making Europe the first continent in history not to practice the death penalty.
Viktoriya Biran
ENSEMBLE
Travel: Minsk – Edinburgh – Minsk = £425
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £594
“According to Belarusian reality, any person against the authorities could get the death penalty. I want the world to know what is going on in the last dictatorship of Europe and helped us to change things.”
Viktoriya was born in Pinsk, a small Belarusian town, in 1990. Over the course of her career Viktoriya has worked as a journalist, saleswoman and waitress, and has engaged in literary work and proof-reading. Viktoriya now lives in Minsk. In addition to acting, is a talented playwright. She has worked with BFT on many of our acclaimed productions, including King Lear and Minsk, 2011.
Aleh Sidorchyk
ENSEMBLE
Travel: London – Edinburgh – London = £200
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £369
“I am against death penalty under any circumstances and under any government. In this Belarusian dictatorship, with its mad "president", state sanctioned murder is the legal mechanism of dealing with regime's opponents.
If people around the world are strong enough to make governments abolish death penalty in every country, maybe then we will make the next step - and stop wars. Both are killing of a human being by another human being.”
Aleh joined Belarus Free Theatre in 2005. He joined the Belarusian Army Theatre in 2004 and was dismissed in 2006 for his cooperation with Belarus Free Theatre. He has been detained for his professional activities and has worked with BFT on many of our acclaimed productions, including King Lear and Minsk, 2011.
Pavel Radak-Haradnitski
ENSEMBLE
Travel: Minsk – Edinburgh – Minsk = £425
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £594
"I'm working with BFT because it's the only alternative for those who want to do theatre in Belarus. I mean vital interactive theatre, theatre that can change people's life. All other theatres in Belarus do not give you this opportunity because of the self-censorship, and I believe it's extremely important to show Trash Cuisine in Edinburgh to have a conversation with the audience about the problem of the death penalty not only in Belarus but all around the world. Please support us in these efforts!"
Pavel joined Belarus Free Theatre in 2005. He is unable to apply for jobs in Belarus because of his association with Belarus Free Theatre. He has been detained in the past for his professional activities. He has worked with BFT on many of our acclaimed productions, including King Lear and Minsk, 2011.
Siarhei Kvachonak
ENSEMBLE
Travel: Minsk – Edinburgh – Minsk = £425
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £594
"I like this performance, because I know mother of one victim whose story is described in the performance. I hope, our work will help to return her son's body to her and help to find the truth in the difficult story."
Siarhei was accepted as a student of Fortinbras in October 2010. In 2012 he was expelled from his University for cooperation with Belarus Free Theatre. He has spent 10 days in jail for his activities towards freedom of expression and fears leaving his home in Minsk in case of further repercussions towards him from the Belarussian government. He has worked with BFT on many of our acclaimed productions, including King Lear and Minsk, 2011.
Nastassia Shcherbak
ENSEMBLE
Travel: Minsk – Edinburgh – Minsk = £425
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £594
"BFT for me it is a place of self-expression, a place where people talk about their beliefs through the arts. BFT is more than just a theatre; it's a way of life and way of thinking. This is a big family that consists of talented people"
Nastassia is one of our Fortinbras students. She has worked with BFT underground facing constant threats to her safety and pressure to leave the group, she has remained with the company in the face of it all. She makes her performing debut with the company in Trash Cuisine.
Svetlana Sugako
STAGE MANAGER
Travel: Minsk – Edinburgh – Minsk = £425
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £594
“I was lucky, I collaborate with the Belarus Free Theatre since its inception and there has never been a single situation where our views on global events (including the death penalty) radically diverged. I am ready to go through many difficulties on the way, because I am confident of our position and our views.”
Svetlana joined Belarus Free Theatre in 2005 as an administrator and assistant director but she also performs with them occasionally. She is also a musician and song-writer, formerly in band Tarpach. In 2006 she was jailed for 7 days for shouting the anti-state slogan ‘Long Live Belarus’ after the presidential election.
Nadia Brodskaya
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Travel: Minsk – Edinburgh – Minsk = £425
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £594
“I am glad to participate in Belarus Free Theatre’s activities. It helps me to express my own position, the position of disagreeing with the methods of the current government and the desire to influence the situation.”
Nadia joined Belarus Free Theatre as stage manager and financial manager in September 2011. She has faced continual intimidation and harassment for her work with BFT. Nadia worked on Minsk, 2011: A Reply to Kathy Acker, King Lear, Trash Cuisine and runs BFT’s underground activities as well as Fortinbras in Minsk alongside Svetlana Sugako.
Kiryl Kanstantsinau
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Travel: Minsk – Edinburgh – Minsk = £425
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £594
"The only thing I'm afraid of in the theatre - is that Belarus Free Theatre will be deprived of the word "Free" in its name. Today it is the only place in Belarus where I can think freely and to share these thoughts with people. It needs to be explained to the world that we have no right to deprive a person of his life, which we did not give him. I'm extremely happy to be part of this company. "
Kiryl graduated from art school with high honors. He joined the Fortinbras drama school in February 2012. In April 2012, he was arrested along with the audience at a screening of a resistance film in Belarus.
Esther Mugambi
ENSEMBLE
Travel: Amsterdam – Edinburgh – Amsterdam = £120
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £289
“Working with BFT is life on the fast lane, they are intense and passionate and can handle whatever comes their way. Plus they are very warm people, it's like having another family.”
Esther Mugambi has worked with Belarus Free Theatre before when she performed in Eurepica. Challenge. with the company in 2010/2011. Belarus Free Theatre are excited to be working with Esther again this year.
Stephanie Pan
ENSEMBLE
Travel: Amsterdam – Edinburgh – Amsterdam = £120
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £289
“I met Belarus Free Theatre while studying at DasArts in 2007, and we have since made Eurepica. Challenge. and Trash Cuisine together. What moves me and inspires me to work with the group is the passion and drive with which they work; it is not want, but need. The work and the work process is incredibly intense, and you give all of yourself to it, but you get so much back!”
Stephanie Pan is a singer, performance artist, and maker working in experimental music and theatre. Her work is visceral, passionate and intense, often exploring the limits of voice and body. She received a Masters in Theatre from DasArts (AHK), BA from UC Berkeley in Music and Applied Mathematics, and First Phase Diploma, with distinction, in Classical Singing from The Royal Conservatory, The Hague.
Philippe Spall
ENSEMBLE
Travel: London – Edinburgh – London = £200
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £369
"Working with BFT has been one of the most exciting and challenging experiences of my life. An actor rarely gets the opportunity to work with such a talented & motivated group of individuals and at the same time create work which is important and memorable. I am extremely proud to be a part of Trash Cuisine. Taking the show to Edinburgh is vital in order to keep up pressure and international condemnation of those societies which still impose capital punishment, and to draw attention to the plight of the Belarussian people. I urge you to support BFT and their work in any way possible."
Philippe is a London based Anglo-French actor, specialising in devised physical theatre and comedy. He also regularly works in film and TV, and will shortly be seen in the forthcoming feature films Rush and Cuban Fury. He is co-founder & director of Penny Dreadful Productions theatre company.
Arkadiy Yushin
COMPOSER / MUSICIAN
Travel: USA – Edinburgh – USA = £800
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £969
"Any time I write a piece of music, there is usually a story behind it. Working with the Free Theatre, I get to score a soundtrack for stories of real people whose voices were taken away. There is no lack of inspiration or worthwhile meaning".
Arkadiy Yushin travelled to the US from Belarus in 1997 to attend Berkley College of Music in Boston. Arkan is a professional recording and performance musician and guitarist multistylist as well as a private educator of guitar, theory and advance improvisational techniques.
Bridget Fiske
CHOREOGRAPHER
Travel: Manchester – Edinburgh – Manchester = £70
Accommodation: Edinburgh = £169
TOTAL = £239
“Trash Cuisine discusses a pertinent and immediate human rights issue, the fact that as humans we still kill each other rather than support, seek to understand, rehabilitate and grow with each other. I believe there is an alternative to what currently happens in too much of the world. Working with BFT has reinvigorated my desire to explore ways the arts are integral in the conversation of what needs changing. Trash Cuisine has also provided a unique opportunity for the growth of my work within the processes of BFT, something that has significant impact on my practice and career. Thank you BFT for inviting me on the ride, I couldn't now imagine the journey without you.”
Bridget is a dance and physical theatre artist working across performance, facilitation and choreography, with works presented across live, sited and digital platforms. Originally from Australia and now based in the UK, Bridget has a varied and prolific portfolio. Included in Bridget’s guest and regular facilitation engagements are Expressions Dance Company, The Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre, The Place and Queensland University of Technology.
TOTAL TRAVEL - £4,485
TOTAL ACCOMMODATION - £2,197
TOTAL COSTS - £6,682
Trash Cuisine synopsis
Welcome to the Capital Punishment Café!
Our chef’s specials today include electrocution, hanging and lethal injection. And save some room for dessert, because we’ve got firing squad and stoning. Can I take your order?
Banned from performing in their home country, Belarus Free Theatre serve up food, music, dance and Shakespeare as they share true stories from inmates, executioners, human rights lawyers and families of the executed. This provocative and urgent show pierces the imagination with moments of the darkest humour as it challenges capital punishment in our contemporary world, where 95 countries still carry out the death penalty.
Following the success of Minsk, 2011: A Reply to Kathy Acker BFT will be reunited with the unique local and international audiences that flood the Edinburgh Festival. Trash Cuisine is the ideal play to bring to Edinburgh audiences, offering live music, outstanding choreography, beautiful imagery and incredible true stories, this is investigative theatre with a hugely important message.
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