Russian Theatre at the Margins of High Putinism

Russian Theatre at the Margins of High Putinism traces the development of fringe theatre in Russia over the course of the second decade of the twenty-first century. This is a period that bears witness to the conservative-authoritarian turn in modern Russian politics and the subsequent slide into open repression of nonconformist elements in society. Through a close examination of various aspects of contemporary Russian theatre, including new trends in dramaturgy, documentary theatre, hybridization of media, performance, and actionist theatre, a picture emerges of a vibrant, heterogeneous subculture existing on the margins of cultural life and yet fully engaged in dialogue with the shifting political realities of the day. Utilizing extensive interviews with a number of significant theatre practitioners, the book offers a final firsthand glimpse of contemporary Russian culture and society in the years prior to two events that changed the country beyond recognition-the global pandemic and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Consideration of the seismic impact of those events on contemporary theatre and culture in Russia concludes the study.