Actors wait to perform at an underground shelter turned to an underground temporary stage as part of an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Actors in a heavily bombarded city in southern Ukraine have returned to the stage, putting on their first performance since Russia's invasion in an underground shelter converted into a tiny theatre.
A few dozen theatre-goers descended steep concrete steps into the subterranean venue on Thursday for the opening night of a show put on by the Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre. Their usual venue, an ornate 450-seater hall, has been closed due to the six-month war that has seen Mykolaiv, a strategic southern port, repeatedly targeted by Russia forces.
An actor prepares before performing at an underground shelter turned to an underground temporary stage as part of an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
"Of course, many plays have been cancelled, because some male actors went away to fight, some went abroad as temporary refugees. So, our theatre company has become smaller," said actress Violeta Mamykina, speaking in her cramped dressing room before going on stage.
Theatre manager Artem Svystun described the performance as "art-therapy", giving local people who have stayed on in the city some brief respite from the stress of the war.
Ievhen Studzinskyi, who was in the audience for Thursday night's show, agreed.
An actor applies makeup before performing at an underground shelter turned to an underground temporary stage as part of an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
"When I went outside, I said it plain and simple, 'it was fun'," he said. "There were tears. There was food for thought. There was a philosophy, depth. I felt really good."
(Reporting by Umit Bektas; Writing by Andrii Pryimachenko and Alex Richardson; Editing by Alison Williams)
An actor fixes her dress as she waits to perform at an underground shelter turned to an underground temporary stage as part of an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit BektasAudience members wait at an underground shelter turned to an underground temporary stage during an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit BektasActors perform at an underground shelter turned to an underground temporary stage during an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit BektasView of an installation at the museum of the Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre, which marks Russia's invasion and honours the servicemen for the Ukrainian army who were also actors of the theatre, during an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit BektasActors wait to enter the stage at the entrance of an underground shelter turned to an underground temporary stage to perform during an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit BektasView of the main hall of Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre, which is closed because of security concerns, on the day of an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit BektasView of the entrance of the Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre on the day of an opening night for the first performance since the start of the war, amid Russia's invasion, at Mykolaiv Art Drama Theatre in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 25, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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