Stepping Out performance of Bad Roads welcomes Ukrainians as part of the Worldwide Play Readings Project for Ukraine

Steve Hennessy, CEO of Stepping Out Theatre Company – the UK’s leading mental health theatre company – opened the evening by welcoming our Ukrainian friends and saying: “We will work with you to ensure your dream of a new Playwrights’ Theatre for Kyiv comes about, and that journey begins tonight.”

Stepping Out members then read the play ‘Bad Roads’ by Natalya Vorozhbit live online and raised over £800 in the process to go to Ukrainian charities helping the war effort and theatre artists in Kyiv. Natalya, founder member of the Playwrights’ Theatre, and a successful writer based in Kyiv, has had productions staged by the Shakespeare Company and the Royal Court. ‘Bad Roads’ was recently made into a film. This play was written five years ago but is even more poignant and relevant today as it charts the early phases of a war that has now spread to the whole of Ukraine.

Stepping Out members were privileged to read this play and did so with passion and commitment; many found it a very moving experience.

Afterwards we chatted to our Ukrainian guests in the audience via Zoom. Andrii Bondarenko, a playwright himself said: “We are not alone, we feel your support and that you care for us.” Oksana added “Thank you for your interest in drama, it is a great play and lovely to hear it read in English.”

This reading was part of an The Worldwide Playreadings for Ukraine project. 116 play readings have taken place across 17 countries. John Friedman, who heads up the project joined us, and he commented: “Thank you for a wonderful reading – it’s so important that these plays are heard.”

Stepping Out Theatre Company have applied for Arts Council funding to be able to continue this work and to read and stage many more plays by the 24 writers of the Playwrights’ Theatre of Kyiv. This partnership will continue, with Andrii stating that “one day we hope to invite you to Kyiv when our new theatre opens, and have a drink at the bar.” We all look forward to that day.

If you missed the reading, it will soon be available on Youtube, along with the post show chat with four Ukrainian playwrights. you can catch up here

https://steppingouttheatre.co.uk/SteppingOutShowDetail.php?identifier=8900

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