Tension Escalates outside National Theatre in Sofia as Protestors Try to Stop Premiere of George Bernard Shaw Comedy

UPDATED Tension Escalates outside National Theatre in Sofia as Protestors Try to Stop Premiere of George Bernard Shaw Comedy

National Theatre Director Vassil Vassilev is trying to reason with protestors trying to stop the first-night performance of George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man on November 7, 2024 (BTA Photo/Nikola Uzunov)

Sofia,

07.11.2024 20:00 | UPDATED 07.11.2024 22:32

(BTA)

Tension escalated outside the National Theatre in central Sofia as protestors tried to stop the premiere of the George Bernard Shaw play Arms and the Man, which they believe to humiliate Bulgaria.

The protestors called for the resignation of National Theatre director Vassil Vassilev.

He tried to reason with the crowd but was assaulted by them and security guards helped him get back inside the theatre building.

There is heavy police presence in the area.

The play takes place during the 1885 Serbo-Bulgarian War. The controversial performance is directed by John Malkovich.

An emotional Vassilev said it was a shame that in 2024 somebody wants censorship and that the National Theatre is being stormed over a play.

He urged the protestors to go watch the play.

He also said, "If we have a State, a Prime Minister, a President and a government, they should stand up to defend the right of Bulgarian people and the right of Bulgarian artists to freely engage in art. If this play is taken down, it will be over the failure of the Bulgarian State to deal with a group of people - I don't want to use labels because these are my fellow countrymen who have unfortunately been misled."

The National Theatre Director said that it is a play that Bulgaria should be proud of, that it is being staged across the world and people mention Bulgaria.

During an October 29 news conference ahead of the premiere, John Malkovich said he is only interested in making good theatre and believes that Arms and the Man is a very good play. He staged it on Broadway in 1985 and remembers it to be an amusing and touching text. He also said that two years ago in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna he played an Austrian serial killer who also happened to be a journalist, which does not mean than all journalists or all Austrians are serial killers.

In a comment for Bulgarian National Radio, Culture Minister Nayden Todorov deplored the outcry against the play and said it amounted to censorship. "Do we want censorship? I wish I could censor some chalga songs but if we have censorship for one thing today, it will be another tomorrow," he said. He likened the George Bernard Shaw play to two much loved Bulgarian classics: Bay Ganyo by Aleko Konstantinov and The Phoney Civilization by Dobri Voynikov. "Does that mean that we have to ban Aleko Konstantinov and Dobri Voynikov?" the Minister asked.

Eventually, the play was staged despite the ongoing protest outside the theatre. It was watched by a small audience, mostly comprised of reporters, as the protesters refused to allow ticket holders to enter the building.

/NF/