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Valery Reva on bringing In|Secure to the stage
The Ukraine war is still on-going, with no signs of ending anytime soon. It’s easy to push it to the back of our minds as the weeks and months go by. But Ukrainian writer-performer Valery Reva‘s In|Secure hopes to remind us not just that the war is still taking its toll on her home country, but that every story involves someone just like us.
It feels deeply personal and important to hear such stories, and so we didn’t hesitate in finding some time to chat with Valery and ask her more about this show that heads to EdFringe (2 – 10 August) before returning to London and The Lion and Unicorn Theatre as part of Camden Fringe 18 and 19 August.
‘Everyone is tired of war…and I’m tired of saying my last goodbyes’
What can you tell us about “In|Secure”?
In|Secure is the first of its kind in the UK, a one-woman show that offers an honest and brutal look at the Russian-Ukrainian war from the perspective of a Ukrainian living here, in the UK. I created the show using stories taken directly from my own Facebook feeds, comparing a wide range of wartime experiences and how through sharing these experiences on the internet, Ukrainians are unwillingly entering the debate of ‘who has the right to say that the War has ruined their life?’
How easy was it to create a show about Ukraine when the war is still ongoing? Was there ever any thought that perhaps you would want to talk about anything other than the war?
Two things to unpack here. First – I was taught that when you make a show, you have to answer three questions: Why this? Why me? Why now? I have more than clear answers to all those questions. It’s not that I want to talk about it – I can’t not talk about it. And secondly – I’m not just talking about war. I’m talking about people: their feelings, problems, dreams, hesitations, fears, passions, relationships. Ukraine now just serves as a magnifying glass for all human nature to be boldly revealed, but the topic is the same – a person.
The show takes stories shared by your friends on Facebook, have you told them their stories are now going to be on stage? How have they reacted?
Certainly, I tried to reach everyone to get permission to use their words. No one declined my request, especially taking into account that I don’t mention their real names or even use random phrases, creating a sort of Frankenstein’s creature from posted texts. Most of the people I quote said: if it can help people hear about Ukraine and understand what war is, go for it.
What is it you want to convey by sharing their stories with an audience?
That this is happening to real people – like you and me. Someone asked me the other day: do your friends in Kyiv still go to cafes? Yes, they do. They drink coffee, have a pint, take kids to school, go to the gym, watch new movies, date. With one additional detail though – they are under constant habitual threat. I try to transform this War in the minds of British people from a dark fairytale to real life – as you can hardly truly feel for Cinderella.
Is it important that you tell this story with humor? Do you feel that allows people to better appreciate what you are saying?
Drama is never too dramatic. Human psychology tries to save our minds from trauma by adding humour. If I was really serious in my show – it would not be truthful. So I fully encourage people to laugh for the first half of the show – it makes the audience think beyond borders, relate, and be more vulnerable in the second half.
The show has already been performed earlier this year, how did that go for you, and what was the audience’s reaction?
I had lots of hesitation before the first performance started, but it all disappeared as soon as I went on stage. It seems the mixed genre truly resonated with the audience, helping them connect with the stories. I received numerous comments like ‘I never thought about it that way’ or ‘It all makes so much sense now.’ When random people approach me afterwards and say that the War is no longer a distant and abstract event, but instead, it has taken on real faces for them, it makes me continue doing what I do.
Would you hope to one day soon be able to take the show back to Ukraine and show it to your friends and family back home to celebrate the end of the war?
I have no desire to perform this show when the War is over, honestly. This show will live as long as it needs to remind the world community about Ukraine. And then.. I have so many other parts, characters, and roles I want to play, not connected to this horrible time in any way, that I’ll be glad to go forth. Regarding celebration, after our victory I’ll just have a drink in a Zigzag bar in peaceful Kyiv with my friends – that would be the best indicator of a happy life.
Our thanks to Valery for making time to chat to us. You can catch In|Secure at EdFringe from 2 – 10 August, bookings here, and Lion and Unicorn Theatre on 18 and 19 August, bookings here.
