Founded in 1993, Arabesky is one of the most interesting independent theatre groups in East Ukraine. They are based in Kharkiv and for many years they collaborated closely with the enfant terrible of Ukrainian Literature, a great poet and writer, Serhiy Zhadan.

“Radio: Eight Stories about Jura Soyfer” is a performance based on Zhadan’s poetry. Jura Soyfer, born in a wealthy Jewish family in Kharkiv, emigrated to Vienna together with his parents right after the Bolshevik Revolution. In Vienna he became known as a great political activist, unforgettable cabaret songwriter and a promising playwright. As a socialist and Marxist he fought for political theatre, sharing the views of Bertold Brecht.
He died in 1939 in a Nazi concentration camp in Germany at the age of 27.

The play is the effect of Zhadan’s work on translation of a drama by Jura Soyfer. The director decided on a cabaret style performance accompanied by experimental music composed by a group from Kharkiv called Klezmer Band.

It is a discovery worthy of attention – “Radio…” is an interesting example of Ukrainian independent theatre, which still has little recognition amongst Polish spectators.