Address: 4, Kontraktovaya Square, (Guest yard), Kiev
Phone: +38044 425-54-89

Site: http://www.theatreonpodol.com/

As its founders say, Theatre on Podil was born long before its official appearance in 1987. The beginning to it was given by creative troupe, that formed around director Vitaliy Malakhov, who has burst into theatrical community in the end of 1970’s with a big début – play “Tale about Monique”. Soon Malakhov becomes the director of Kiev Variety Theatre. At that time he was the youngest stage director in USSR! The creative crew consisted of actors, dancers, vocalists. V. Malakhov still works with many of them. Among them: V. Kuznetsov, T. Plashenko, A. Sergiyko, A. Krijanovskiy, I. Krikunov, K. Malakhova, A. Parkhomenko, V. Andrienko. This theatre marked the beginning of creative development for A. Levit, L. Tebenkova, V. Ivanenko, A. Kochnev, V. Chiglyaev, A. Dyachenko, A. Cekalo with the group “Hat”. Famous now actor and singer N. Jigurda came here without finishing 9-th form. Malakhov says, he played “gnomes and some uncommon characters”.

 The performances of V. Malakhov in the first half of 1980’s were in a way revolutionary: “Night of Miracles” after Shakespeare (1980), “Sophocles. Shakespeare. Brecht” (1983), “Puppet Show Booth” by V. Shevchuk (1989), “There are 2 of us now” after F.G. Lorca (1991), “Yago” after Shakespeare (1994). We still remember them as carnival experiments, the riot of form with original interpretation of the content. The director experimented consciously, mastering different possibilities and kinds of theatrical performances.

 The Variety Theatre proved that the true art can stay itself under any regime, being independent from the political situation of time. And in 1987, on the wave of “perestroika”, V. Malakhov decides to create his own theatre, named Theatre on Podil. The crew that has already formed around the director was its basis.       

 From 1987 till 1994 Theatre on Podil was touring abroad pretty much. All the tours aroused big interest and the gratitude of the public. The performance “Puppet Show Booth” received a special prize on the First World Festival in Ankara. Shakespeare’s “Night of Miracles” British journal “Observer” compared with “fathomless ocean during the storm”. The critic wrote, that the great dramatist never sounded so melodious and sensual. Bringing Shakespeare in England is very risky, the public there has a pretty jealous attitude towards foreign adaptations. But the risk was worth it – the leading journals of Britain wrote about the theatre, the troupe was acknowledged as one of the best among 900 of others, who performed on famous Edinburgh International Festival. That was nearly the first time when the theatrical art of Ukraine was discussed in Europe.

 Now the repertoire of Theatre on Podil consists of more than 50 shows. Its creative crew and artistic director Vitaliy Malakhov have become the laureates in 15 nominations of “Kiev Pektoral”. In 2006 the theatre was given a status of “Academic”, and in 2008 Vitaliy Malakhov became the laureate of National Award of Ukraine named after Taras Shevchenko in the sphere of art and the People’s Artist of Ukraine.

 There are 70 places in the hall. The theatrical bar is pretty well known, it occupies the whole first floor of the premises and it’s considered as a pride of the theatre. The box-office of the theatre is situated on 20-b, Andrievskiy Uzviz. In the present time new theatrical building is being constructed on Uzviz.