Minsk 2011: A Reply to Kathy Acker

I've never really thought very much about Belarus. I didn't even know that it is Europe's last dictatorship. So while Minsk may not always be an easy watch, it's undoubtedly a necessary effort to raise awareness of the problems that afflict the country particularly its capital city.

Police brutality, homophobia, alcoholism and the prevalence and power of the sex industry are just some of the issues raised in this multimedia piece from the Belarus Free Theatre, which blends theatre and movement with video projection. The title refers to an earlier work by the BFT, New York in 1979, based on a text about identity and sexuality from American punk writer Kathy Acker. Minsk thus relocates these issues to the Belarusian capital, weaving together stories of struggles and scars.

"Many girls find scars sexy. In this regard, Minsk is a beautiful and very sexy city".

Minsk is a deeply personal piece. Written as a collaboration between all the performers, every story we see and hear is true and the result of bitter personal experience, which is what gives Minsk its power. Most of the performers lost their jobs in Minsk and/or were arrested because they dared to use theatre as a way to protest. Some aren't even allowed to ever go back. There are some laugh-out-loud moments, reflecting how humour is often born as a way of dealing with difficult situations. Often light-hearted, joyful scenes will suddenly change to something dark; like a peaceful carnival shattered by police violence. It's this contrast that shocks the audience out of apathy, reminding us that the repression and exploitation in Belarus doesn't go away just because we are not thinking about it. In fact, the culmination of the play is a gut-wrenching cry out to the rest of Europe, the rest of the world, asking just how much does Belarus have to do to get our attention.

Minsk is an absorbing character piece. It will make you feel uncomfortable at times, but that means the Belarus Free Theatre are achieving what they set out to do. The piece is a fascinating, and very moving, insight into a country that is rarely on our radar, guaranteed to leave you thinking long after it finishes.