Belarusian theatre of the absurd

On Wednesday 22 August the Belarusian police broke up … a theatre performance

Around 50 people present during the performance by the Free Theatre in a private building were detained for four hours.

Among those detained were the actors, directors, five theatre specialists from France and Holland, as well as several children.

The organizers of the performance notified the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the British playwright Tom Stoppard and the rock star Mick Jagger. The latter were among the well-known international figures who had previously expressed their support for the Belarusian Free Theatre.

In Belarus the activities of this group are banned, however according to the theatre’s founders, this was the first time the Belarusian police had broken up a performance.