The latest project by Pussy Riot, the notorious group of Russian feminist-punk dissidents, is an autobiographical, “immersive” stage piece to be performed in the Saatchi Gallery in London. The group, along with the acclaimed, experimental London theater company who co-created the piece–Les Enfants Terrible–is funding the project through Kickstarter. It is scheduled to run for eight weeks, and will feature Pussy Riot’s co-founder and most visible current member, Nadya Tolokonnikova, at several performances throughout its run.
Tolokonnikova also wrote the statement for the production’s Kickstarter, and described the piece as such:
This wild theatrical experience will allow the audience to become a participant, experiencing exactly what Pussy Riot went through during our imprisonment – from the original Church performance, to the court trial and prison cells. 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.
The audience will actually get the chance to re-live each one of these experiences themselves, learning what it means to be a political opponent in Russia today.
The Kickstarter, which features rewards for donors including a tour of Moscow by Tolokonnikova, is running for four weeks, and has a $78,075 goal. You can watch the campaign’s promotional video and donate here.
