Ukrainian actors travel to perform at York Shakespeare festival
The Government gave special permission for them to leave the country
A group of Ukrainian actors will perform Shakespeare in York today after being given special permission from the Government to leave their Country.
Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are currently prohibited from leaving the country so this trip meant the 10 strong theatre team needing exit permits as well as visas to travel. The Artistic Director of the York International Shakespeare Festival contacted the Minister of Culture in Ukraine directly to put the case that this was an important cultural visit.
The company is here for 3 days, with over 24 hours travelling in each direction to make the trip. There are no flights from Kyiv so they travelled by train to the border and then on to Krakow in Poland. From there, a flight to Leeds Bradford, and then a minibus across to York.
Philip Parr, Artistic Director of the York International Shakespeare Festival said: “The invitation to the company from Kyiv came about as a result of having seen their performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and met them at the Shakespeare Festival in Verona in 2022.
“The audience reaction to their performance was extraordinary and the power of their story telling was immense. I can safely say it’s one of the best productions of the play that I’ve seen.
“So I invited them. They were excited to come but then came the problems.
“It’s quite an adventure for them and for us. Thankfully we’ve now managed to overcome the issues and we’re excited to have them here in York. Being able to host them means not only a chance for audiences to experience their work but also to demonstrate the significant cultural connection that is created through international festivals.”