Sanctuary overseas. I do find it hard because i sanctuary overseas. I do find it hard because i am sanctuary overseas. I do find | it hard because i am worrying about my family, like, every minute. ,. ,. , about my family, like, every minute. ,. ,. ,. About my family, like, every minute. ,. ,. ,. Minute. Now, over a year since war broke minute. Now, over a year since war broke out. Minute. Now, over a year since war broke out, they minute. Now, over a year since war broke out, they are minute. Now, over a year since | war broke out, they are heading back to the professional theatre, many for the first time. ~. ,. , time. We have a final Rehearsal Toda in time. We have a final Rehearsal Today in the time. We have a final Rehearsal Today in the afternoon, time. We have a final Rehearsal Today in the afternoon, then i today in the afternoon, then after that, today in the afternoon, then afterthat, opening today in the afternoon, then after that, Opening Night. Today in the afternoon, then afterthat, Opening Night. Its sold out. After that, Opening Night. Its sold out. � sold out. After fleeing the violence sold out. After fleeing the violence of sold out. After fleeing the violence of war, sold out. After fleeing the violence of war, the sold out. After fleeing the | violence of war, the actors have been brought together in their adopted home to put on maria, they play like no other. It is day one of rehearsals and the actors are greeted by a welcoming circle from the unity theatre, their home for the next four days. Theatre, their home for the next four days. Hello everyone. My name next four days. Hello everyone. My name is next four days. Hello everyone. My name is shorena, next four days. Hello everyone. My name is shorena, i next four days. Hello everyone. My name is shorena, i am next four days. Hello everyone. My name is shorena, i am an. My name is shorena, i am an actress and i will play the main role, maria. Mil actress and i will play the main role, maria. Actress and i will play the main role, maria. All of the company main role, maria. All of the company were main role, maria. All of the company were prominent i main role, maria. All of the company were prominent actors and directors in their homeland, taking to the stage in the countrys figures venues as well as Hit Ukrainian Films and television shows. I as well as Hit Ukrainian Films and television shows. I worked in the national and television shows. I worked in the national theatre, and television shows. I worked in the nationaltheatre, i in the national theatre, i played juliet and juliet and romeo. It was one of my favourite roles. Romeo. It was one of my favourite roles. My name is sasha, favourite roles. My name is sasha. And favourite roles. My name is sasha, and i favourite roles. My name is sasha, and i will favourite roles. My name is sasha, and i will play favourite roles. My name is sasha, and i will play one l favourite roles. My name is| sasha, and i will play one of the main sasha, and i will play one of the main characters in this play the main characters in this play i the main characters in this play. I used to be an actor of the national theatre. And it was the national theatre. And it was very the national theatre. And it was very important and exciting. Was very important and exciting was very important and excitina. G. , a,. Exciting. My name is viktoria. I used to exciting. My name is viktoria. I used to work exciting. My name is viktoria. I used to work with exciting. My name is viktoria. | i used to work with Volodymyr Zelensky i used to work with Volodymyr Zelensky for i used to work with Volodymyr Zelensky for several i used to work with Volodymyr Zelensky for several years. I used to work with Volodymyr Zelensky for several years. He was a zelensky for several years. He was a great zelensky for several years. He was a Great Manager zelensky for several years. He was a Great Manager at zelensky for several years. He was a Great Manager at that l was a Great Manager at that time. Was a Great Manager at that time. And was a Great Manager at that time. And he was a Great Manager at that time. And he is was a Great Manager at that time. And he is quite was a Great Manager at that time. And he is quite a was a Great Manager at that| time. And he is quite a good manager time. And he is quite a good manager now time. And he is quite a good manager now. A time. And he is quite a good manager now. A great time. And he is quite a good manager now. A Great Manager, yes. Manager now. A Great Manager, es. ,. Manager now. A Great Manager, es,. , manager now. A Great Manager, yes. Since war broke out, their lives have yes. Since war broke out, their lives have changed yes. Since war broke out, their lives have changed beyond lives have changed beyond recognition. When missiles began to fall, survival to president s over the this stage. Shorena is married to producer yurii. ~. , ~ shorena is married to producer yurii. ~. , ~ , shorena is married to producer yurii. ~ ,. , yurii. We woke up at five oclock yurii. We woke up at five oclock because yurii. We woke up at five oclock because there yurii. We woke up at five l oclock because there were explosions. We are very happy that our daughter was sleeping and she didnt hear these sounds. ,. , and she didnt hear these sounds sounds. The dawn of a frightening sounds. The dawn of a frightening new sounds. The dawn of a frightening new era i sounds. The dawn of a frightening new era in | sounds. The dawn of a frightening new era in europe. Care frightening new era in europe. Care of. Frightening new era in europe. Care of. A frightening new era in europe. Care of, a city of 3 million awoke care of, a city of 3 million awoke to care of, a city of 3 million awoke to sirens. It care of, a city of 3 million awoke to sirens. Awoke to sirens. It was frightening, awoke to sirens. It was l frightening, frightening, because frightening, frightening, because when frightening, frightening, because when we frightening, frightening, i because when we started frightening, frightening,. Because when we started to drive because when we started to drive from because when we started to drive from our because when we started to drive from our house, because when we started to drive from our house, we i because when we started to i drive from our house, we saw a lot of drive from our house, we saw a lot of broken drive from our house, we saw a lot of broken cars, drive from our house, we saw a lot of broken cars, people i drive from our house, we saw a lot of broken cars, people and. Lot of broken cars, people and it was lot of broken cars, people and it was frightening, lot of broken cars, people and it was frightening, yes. Lot of broken cars, people and it was frightening, yes. It i lot of broken cars, people and it was frightening, yes. It was| it was frightening, yes. It was frightening it was frightening, yes. It was frightening frightening. Alexander and viktoria are frightening. Alexander and viktoria are also frightening. Alexander and viktoria are also a frightening. Alexander and viktoria are also a couple. | viktoria are also a couple. They were on a trip to paris when war broke out but all the family are in ukraine. Family are in ukraine. Oleksander. Family are in ukraine. Oleksander. Im family are in ukraine. Oleksander. Im in i family are in ukraine. Oleksander. Im in paris but my sister oleksander. Im in paris but my sister and oleksander. Im in paris but my sister and family are oleksander. Im in paris but my sisterand family are in oleksander. Im in paris but my sister and family are in kyiv, and sister and family are in kyiv, and there sister and family are in kyiv, and there is bombing, news about and there is bombing, news about tanks nearby. I mean it wasnt about tanks nearby. I mean it wasnt the about tanks nearby. I mean it wasnt the best experience in my life wasnt the best experience in my life. So wasnt the best experience in m life. , wasnt the best experience in m life. ,. , my life. So you went away for the weekend my life. So you went away for the weekend to my life. So you went away for the weekend to paris . My life. So you went away for the weekend to paris . Yes, l the weekend to paris . Yes, basically the weekend to paris . Yes, basically. And the weekend to paris . Yes, basically. And never the weekend to paris . Yes, i basically. And never returned yet~ basically. And never returned et. , ~. , basically. And never returned et. , yet. Yes. So. Around kyiv was Russian Occupation yet. Yes. So. Around kyiv was Russian Occupation and yet. Yes. So. Around kyiv was Russian Occupation and we i yet. Yes. So. Around kyiv was| Russian Occupation and we were very scared and it is the thing when we play games, like video chat with my son, and he is sitting in the basement and i am sitting in paris. It was very. Ifeel myself am sitting in paris. It was very. I feel myself helpless. Very helpless. But now we are together. I very helpless. But now we are touether. ,. , very helpless. But now we are together together. I am playing one of the two husbands together. I am playing one of the two husbands of together. I am playing one of the two husbands of maria. L together. I am playing one of the two husbands of maria. I | the two husbands of maria. I work the two husbands of maria. I work out the two husbands of maria. I work out because my brother called work out because my brother called me and said you need to run away called me and said you need to run away because they are bombing, everything started, they bombing, everything started, they are bombing, everything started, they are bombing military bases, they are bombing military bases, and just in 50m from a window bases, and just in 50m from a window is bases, and just in 50m from a window is the territory of Military Window is the territory of military bases. So we decided to go military bases. So we decided to go somewhere and after that we left to go somewhere and after that we left to to go somewhere and after that we left to the west of ukraine and after we left to the west of ukraine and after that abroad. | we left to the west of ukraine and after that abroad. And after that abroad. I am olena and and after that abroad. I am olena and i and after that abroad. I am olena and i play and after that abroad. I am olena and i play the and after that abroad. I am i olena and i play the daughter of maria. We did our last performance in Student Theatre on the 23 february and then we got home to our students campus, then went back to sleep then i remember at 5am my friends were running around the room, picking up close and everything. Students campus. And i was like what are you doing . And they said it started. That the war had started. ,. , it started. That the war had started. ,. ,. , started. Russia is accused of killin started. Russia is accused of Killing Hundreds started. Russia is accused of Killing Hundreds of started. Russia is accused of Killing Hundreds of civilians i Killing Hundreds of civilians in the Killing Hundreds of civilians in the ukrainian city of kharkiv in the ukrainian city of kharkiv. In the ukrainian city of kharkiv. ,. ,. , kharkiv. Olena had one of the most difficult kharkiv. Olena had one of the most difficult escapes, kharkiv. Olena had one of the | most difficult escapes, trapped in kharkiv and worried about herfamily. 50 in kharkiv and worried about her family her family. So i have been there for her family. So i have been there for like her family. So i have been there for like three her family. So i have been| there for like three weeks, her family. So i have been l there for like three weeks, i guess. In the metro station. Then we tried to escape from kharkiv to my sisters husbands family, so we escaped, and i remember we spent two or three nights on Different Railway stations without food, without water, without food, without water, without phones, and i remember my mum got in touch with me, like, every two weeks, and it was like the most hardest time, because you dont have access to talk to your family, you dont know are they still alive. At the hardest thing was my father, because he is a soldier. � ,. , ,. , soldier. Yuriis ob is to get the play h soldier. Yuriis ob is to get the play from soldier. Yuriis job is to get the play from the soldier. Yuriis job is to get| the play from the Rehearsal Room and onto the stage in just four weeks. Room and onto the stage in ust four weeksfi four weeks. Maria is the story of a woman four weeks. Maria is the story of a woman and four weeks. Maria is the story of a woman and her four weeks. Maria is the story of a woman and her life i four weeks. Maria is the story of a woman and her life was l of a woman and her life was like 72 years. This story from the birth to the death and how russian occupants breaker life, break ukraine. And this story will be about the hardest page of our history. The holodomor. Break her life. The holodomor, literally translated as to Kill By Hunger in was as to Kill By Hunger in was as soviet engineered famine of the 1930s. In the lotus glen producer in the soviet union, ukraine was subject to higher green quotas, leading to fewer crops for ukrainians, and causing Mass Starvation of the population. While estimates vary, academics put the death toll at a vary, academics put the death toll ata minimum vary, academics put the death toll at a minimum of 3. 5 million people. Why style and enforce the policy is a matter of contention. To sum it was merely a consequence of the soviet union. Stalin enforced. Others day that stalin, fearing cultural separation from moscow engineered the famine. Here my confession engineered the famine. Here my confession. Forgive engineered the famine. Here my confession. Forgive me. I engineered the famine. Here my confession. Forgive me. Da, i confession. Forgive me. Da, da. The play will be performed in english, making learning lines a challenge for some of the cars. The main work is to teach yourself speaking english. With no problem, to learn the lines correctly. I would like to learn my text more. Would like to learn my text more. To would like to learn my text more, to be more confident and i more, to be more confident and iwouid more, to be more confident and i would like to create whole whole i would like to create whole whole person. I would like to create whole whole person. The thing i need to learn to whole person. The thing i need to learn to play whole person. The thing i need to learn to play on whole person. The thing i need to learn to play on the whole person. The thing i need to learn to play on the flute, i to learn to play on the flute, it is to learn to play on the flute, it is kind to learn to play on the flute, it is kind of to learn to play on the flute, it is kind of the to learn to play on the flute, it is kind of the ukrainian i it is kind of the Ukrainian National it is kind of the Ukrainian National instrument, i it is kind of the Ukrainian National instrument, but| it is kind of the ukrainian. National instrument, but it it is kind of the ukrainian i national instrument, but it is quite national instrument, but it is quite difficult. National instrument, but it is quite difficult. But national instrument, but it is quite difficult. But we national instrument, but it is quite difficult. But we have i quite difficult. But we have oleksander, quite difficult. But we have oleksander, and quite difficult. But we have oleksander, and he quite difficult. But we have oleksander, and he is quite difficult. But we have oleksander, and he is a i quite difficult. But we have i oleksander, and he is a great musician oleksander, and he is a great musician and oleksander, and he is a great musician and he oleksander, and he is a great musician and he will oleksander, and he is a great musician and he will teach i oleksander, and he is a great. Musician and he will teach me, he is musician and he will teach me, he is my musician and he will teach me, he is my master. Musician and he will teach me, he is my master. He is my master. Together all their lives. He is my master. Together all their lives. Today he is my master. Together all their lives. Today i he is my master. Together all their lives. Today i just i he is my master. Together all their lives. Today i just got i their lives. Today ijust got acquainted with my new partner and i have a lot of new lines. Thats why we need to work, sorry. It thats why we need to work, sor. ,. Thats why we need to work, soi , ,. ,. , sorry. It is the start of week two and sorry. It is the start of week two and the sorry. It is the start of week two and the theatre sorry. It is the start of week two and the theatre is i sorry. It is the start of week i two and the theatre is changing all of its signage into ukrainian ahead of the start of liverpools eurovision festival. Festival. The first big audience festival. The first big audience that festival. The first big audience that we i festival. The first big l audience that we want festival. The first big i audience that we want to festival. The first big audience that we want t