Russian Theatre at the Margins of High Putinism

by Trustrum-Thomas, Alex

• ISBN13: 9780198971115
• ISBN10: 0198971117
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780198971085
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2026-02-13
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Alex Trustrum-Thomas, Visiting Researcher, Karazin Kharkiv National University

Alex Trustrum-Thomas is a Visiting Researcher at Karazin Kharkiv National University. His research interests include contemporary theatre and performance, the Russo-Ukrainian War, ideology, censorship, and the legacy of communism in Eastern Europe. His postdoctoral research project examining wartime culture in eastern Ukraine was funded by a Leverhulme Study Abroad Studentship. He is a contributing author to various theatre publications, as well as being a translator of Russian documentary drama for stage and podcast. He holds a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford.

Table of Contents

Introduction1. Post-Zero: Documentary Theatre after One Hour Eighteen Minutes2. Document-Based Performance: 'New Documentarism'3. Body Politics: 'New Drama' in High Putinism4. Actionist Theatre: The Burden of Cargo 300Conclusion: Make Your Choice!