Location: Hungarian State Theatre, Timișoara
„Blockpost” („Checkpoint”) is a powerful theatre play that takes us to the night the war in Ukraine begins. It is a story of courage, vulnerability and generational bonds in the face of chaos.
At an improvised checkpoint, a grandfather and his grandson find themselves waiting for soldiers who never come. What follows is a night of reflection, uncertainty, and unspoken truths, as people pass through their post, each with their own version of the future.
Free acces!
The play will be held in Romanian with Ukrainian subtitles.
Sinopsis
The play takes place during the night the war in Ukraine begins.
The Grandfather, a pensioner who voluntarily took up a position at an improvised checkpoint and remained there alone with his old hunting rifle is one of the main characters. We don’t know the exact location, but it’s clear that the action unfolds in a small Ukrainian town near the Russian border. He expects to be replaced by soldiers or at least younger, able-bodied men, but instead, his young grandson arrives, bringing him a folding fishing chair and herbal tea in a thermos.
Two people, two generations apart, different yet close, spend the night together on the road at the unfinished checkpoint, waiting to be relieved by professionals. They await news from those passing through their post.
Various people pass by — those who believe there will be a war and those who don’t... those who want to flee and those who stay... those who are ready to accept the new order and those who are prepared to resist the enemy.
Grandfather and Grandson also talk about things they would normally remain silent about, expressing what might have been left unsaid.
Everyone expected the war. No one believed it would start. Everyone was wrong.
This is a story about how any prediction can fail, how familiar life, order, and stability can collapse in a single night. What we take for granted, what we consider normal and secure — is a fragile and unreliable happiness.
Blockpost
Written by Anton Nesmiyanov
Directed by Oleksandr Stepantsov
Cast:
Benone Viziteu | Luca Șandor
Flavius Hudișteanu | Darie Doklean
Ariana Harșani | Marius Caraiman
Nadina Druța | Diana Nițu
Andrei Zgăbaia | Cătălin Kopandi
Stage Design: Olena Drobna
Assistant director: Mirela Puia
Assistant scenographer: Marius Caraiman
Video & sound design: Sebastian Hamburger
Light design: Cosmin Anania
Translated by: Lyudmyla Ganzha & Olga Botnarciuc
Produced by Produced by Fundatia Culturala Artmedia & FAINA UA Association
The co-production is part of the Sunlight Over Borders project, built on the principle of blending theatrical practices from Romania and Ukraine. The project promotes collaboration to explore the impact of war on our communities and our shared future. Through performative art, the project creates a context for reflection on current themes of war and resilience.
Partners: European Union in Ukraine, IZOLYATSIA, Platform for Cultural Initiatives, Trans Europe Halles Malý Berlín, Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Drama Theater, Faculty of Music and Theatre- UVT, FLIGHT FESTIVAL
The Sunlight Over Borders project is implemented by Artmedia Cultural Foundation and FAINA UA with support of IZOLYATSIA Foundation, Trans Europe Halles and Malý Berlín and co-financed by the ZMINA: Rebuilding program, created with the support of the European Union under a dedicated call for proposals to support Ukrainian displaced people and the Ukrainian Cultural and Creative Sectors.