Moscow Theatre siege - In Your Hands

[moeen yaseen]

New End Theatre in association with First Act Productions present the world premiere of: IN YOUR HANDS


Wednesday 13th September – Sunday 15th October
Press Day: Friday 15th September
Theatre: New End Theatre, 27 New End, Hampstead, NW3 1JD
Box Office: 0870 0332733
Ticket Prices: £17 concessions £13
Time: Tues-Saturday 7.30pm
Saturday & Sunday 3.30pm
Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes (no interval)


Based on the real events of 23rd October 2002, ‘In Your Hands’ is the story of a terrorist attack that grabbed headlines all over the world. During a performance of the popular musical ‘Nord Ost’ Chechen rebels took control of a Moscow theatre. Men, women and children were held captive inside the auditorium for 57 hours while the Russian government debated how to react. During that time hostages communicated freely with their captors. When federal forces finally stormed the building they used a gas which killed 150 hostages. 41 hostage takers, 19 of whom were women (the so called ‘Black Widows’) also lost their lives.


‘In Your Hands’ was written by Russian-born Natalia Pelevine and is directed by Julian Woolford. It tells the story of this tragedy from the perspective of two women - a terrorist and a hostage. They come from utterly different worlds yet find a connection at a deeper level. It is a tense, difficult and dangerous relationship which, in the end, takes an unexpected turn.

Based on extensive research, including interviews with witnesses and surviving hostages, ‘In Your Hands’ is endorsed by victims of the event and Russian Non-government Organisation of Victims of Terror. Both controversial and uniquely interactive, the play has already been banned in Russia and this London run at the New End Theatre sees its worldwide premiere.

Writer: Natalia Pelevine – was born in Moscow just under thirty years ago and moved to London at the age of eleven. With Russian, Polish, Italian blood she is a descendent of the Poniatowski royal dynasty and a great granddaughter of a leader of anticommunist uprising killed by the KGB in 1932. Having escaped a closed off reality of the Soviet Union she soon began to feel the exciting enormity of such a diverse world. After finishing school and having gone on to study art history and theatre studies at university Natalia signed with an L.A. agent and ventured out to the United States. Her personal history, experiences and feelings gave her a unique empathy with the characters involved in the real events of October 2002. The result is ‘In Your Hands’.

Director: Julian Woolford. Julian’s most recent production was ‘The Musical of Musicals’ at Sound Theatre in the West End. As Artistic Director of the Sevenoaks Playhouse, his productions included ‘Vita & Virginia’, ‘Wallflowering’, ‘Kiss of the Spiderwoman’ and The Turn of the Screw. Other credits include ‘…And The Pursuit of Happiness’ (Off-Broadway, New York); ‘Wuthering Heights’ (European tour) and ‘Nostradamus’ (Australia). In London he directed ‘2 Boys In A Bed On A Cold Winter’s Night’ (Arts Theatre); the premiere of ‘Let Him Have Justice’ (Cochrane Theatre); ‘Oh Carol!’ (Covent Garden Festival); ‘Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris’ and ‘Of Mice and Men’ (King’s Head).



“We sincerely thank you for ‘In Your hands’. At the moment the theme of terrorism is highly important for everyone living on this planet. The musical showing in the Moscow theatre that was taken over by terrorists attracted citizens of many countries, some of whom ended up amongst the dead. We hope that lessons learned from the Nord Ost theatre siege will prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future” TATIANA KARPOVA

Tatiana Karpova lost her son Alexander, 31, in the siege, as a result of the gas used by federal forces during the operation. She is the co-founder of the Non-government Organisation of Victims of Terror ‘Nord Ost’*.

*Nord Ost was formed in 2003 by victims and relatives of those who died during the theatre siege. Its purpose is to support and advocate interests of victims of numerous terrorist attacks that have taken place in Russia in Nord Ost and Beslan.

This play is dedicated to all those who lost their lives in terrorist attacks.

http://zalozhniki.ru/
http://www.nordostjustice.org/

For more information please call Mel at Impressive on 0207 284 3444