Ukrainian student directing free stage show in Athlone this weekend
A university student from Kyiv, who has been based in Athlone since last autumn, is organising a show with an Irish and Ukrainian cast which will be staged at St Mary's Hall on Northgate Street this coming Saturday (May 13).
The concert - called Who is Mafia? - will take place at 6pm, and admission is free.
Maryna Azarova is the producer and director of the show, and is also one of the performers.
A student of Kyiv University of Culture and Arts of Ukraine, she explained that she gathered a group of young Irish people and Ukrainian people and "decided to do something exciting together".
"The plot of our concert is based on a board game and performed in a cabaret style. We welcome everyone who comes to our performance," she said.
A synopsis of Who is Mafia? outlines how it is set in a city where, "during the day, people peacefully walk the streets, laugh and have fun. And then, as dusk falls on the city buildings, the mafia wakes up!
"What will happen at night? Who will be the victim of the mafia? Will the sheriff be able to catch the criminals and solve the crimes? You can find out by watching our concert!"
This show will be recorded, and it will be Maryna's final assignment in order to complete her degree in stage management.
Kieran Burke of the Gateway Youth Project, based in St Mary's Hall, said Gateway had helped Maryna with some of the logistics but that she and her crew had put a huge amount of work into preparing for the event.
He encouraged locals to consider coming along to see the show on Saturday evening.