Pussy Riot, the infamous Russian punk outfit, are hoping to create a new, immersive theatre performance in collaboration with the theatre company Les Enfants Terribles, to tell the now infamous story of their arrest, imprisonment and continual struggle as political opponents in Russia. They have launched a Kickstarter campaign with a funding goal of £60,000 ($77,984) which, if reached, will see the performance being put on in London in November.
The performance, titled “Inside Pussy Riot,” will retell the fascinating series of events that led to the group’s imprisonment, including their initial performance in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, their trial, and the time spent in solitary confinement in a Russian prison. Since gaining global notoriety for their performance in Moscow’s most famous Cathedral in 2012, the group has continued to develop their worldwide presence, including an appearance on Netflix hit show House of Cards and leading Toronto Pride back in May 2015.
According to Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot, “[t]his wild theatrical experience will allow the audience to become a participant, experiencing exactly what Pussy Riot went through… We’re going to recreate Russian courtrooms, a real Russian labour colony, solitary confinement cells, priests who shout about banning abortions and many more absurd, but real-life things that exist in Russia today,” she explains on the project’s Kickstarter page.
She continues to highlight the educational value of the project, in that “[t]he audience will actually get the chance to relive each one of these experiences themselves, learning what it means to be a political opponent in Russia today. We’ll take you on a journey from the cathedral altar deep into the vaults of the Kremlin itself. Hopefully, this is a journey that you’ll only have to make once in your life.”
“In order to ensure [the play’s] launch, we need to pre-fund this high-tech production – and fast,” she added. “All the money raised will be spent on the gallery space, the set design, employing actors and staff for the show’s six week run and making those rooms in London look exactly like solitary confinement cells in the Russian prison I did my time in.”
Backers are being offered various incentives, from a “friendly postcard” sent to Vladimir Putin ahead of his election campaign for £25 ($33), to an “alternative tour of Moscow” with Nadya and a credit in the programme for a donation of £10,000 ($13,000).
At the moment, the Kickstarter is at £55,485 of the £60,000 necessary, with 8 days left to go. Check out the kickstarter here if you are interested.
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