The Trumpeter ★★★ Finborough Theatre | Jul 9 - Aug 3, 2024


Inspired by real events, Inna Goncharova's play, The Trumpeter, is a reflection on war and human suffering that comes straight out of the headlines. The Ukrainian invasion and the siege of Mariupol in 2022 are devastating realities that Goncharova seeks to chronicle and possibly shape through the power of her words. The action takes place beneath the ruins of the Azovstal Steelworks, where the trumpeter, the sole survivor of the 36th Marine Brigade's brass band is holed up with two other survivors. While the trumpeter, who really sees herself as a composer, is trapped underground with her companions, she muses on the creation of a symphony of war trying to give artistic expression and, perhaps, even meaning to her horrific experience. The trumpeter's enterprise thus mirrors the play's own meditation on the role of art in the face of the catastrophe of human conflict. Unfortunately, Kristin Milward's performance as the trumpeter seems confined to a single note. Her monologue captures the horror of the situation, but it lacks much emotional nuance. One moves from being overwhelmed to being inured by her declamation of the trumpeter's situation as she is tossed about the stage by the bombing. Nevertheless, this is an important work that brings home the anguish of the current circumstances in Ukraine and poses powerful questions about how we comprehend and respond to such brutality.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Davor Tavorlaza

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Map & Location: 118 Finborough Rd, London SW10 9ED, UK

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