Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
David Jays

Deaf Republic review – a town under military occupation falls defiantly silent

The cast of Deaf Republic
Vivid choreography of communication … the cast of Deaf Republic. Photograph: Johan Persson

A town under military occupation refuses to buckle under. After a young deaf boy is shot while watching a puppet show, the citizens of Vasenka fall deaf themselves: refusing to speak, respond, even to hear military orders.

The dramatic, book-length poem from 2019 by Ukrainian-born Ilya Kaminsky becomes an elaborately imagined theatrical fable from Dublin’s Dead Centre: not consoling, sometimes laborious, always demanding vigilance.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.