‘The war was not going to stop me’: amateur Ukrainian actors stage King Lear in UK

Company performing Shakespeare classic formed of 12 members who moved to small Uzhhorod town during war

Vyacheslav Yehorov was working at a film school creating art therapy for children when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, forcing millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes.

Many took refuge in the small western town of Uzhhorod, which borders four EU countries. It was here that Yehorov – a student of directing within the performing arts – decided to realise his long-held dream of staging King Lear.

King Lear, directed by Viacheslav Yehorov, will be staged at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, on 14 and 15 June.