City theatre company forced to flee Ukraine after missile strike

On Monday, October 10, Russia resumed missile attacks on Lviv - where the 32nd annual Golden Lion International Theatrical Festival was taking place.

Award-winning producer, Richard Jordan, had his company showing Kafka & Son - a co-production alongside Canadian-based Theaturtle and Threshold Theatre Company.

The festival, which was meant to run from October 7 to October 11, was forced to cancel its remaining shows and the Golden Lion Theatre was returned to its use as a bomb shelter.

Alon Nashman said: "Kafka and Son resonates as a profound critique of tyranny, in all its forms" (Image: Cylla von Tiedemann)

The Richard Jordan Production company have now all left Ukraine safely.

All Ukrainian staff and artists based in Lviv involved with the theatre and festival are "reported safe and well".

Richard Jordan said: “We had been fully briefed over the risks but also with robust safety plans and measures in place.

"We collaborated with our theatre colleagues in Ukraine with a determination that if we could find a way to bring art and aid to them and their community then we would try to do so.

"The experience is one that none of us will ever forget, that was both humbling and inspiring.

"We watched the courage of our Ukrainian colleagues as they continued to bring theatre to their community providing familiarity and therapy at this time.

"Back home the most important thing that all of us involved in this presentation can now do is to share our experiences and raise continued awareness.

Richard Jordan, who was born in Norwich, founder of Richard Jordan Productions (Image: Anthony Kelly)

"As part of the global arts community we all stand in solidarity with out brave Ukrainian colleagues."

Playwright and founder of Theaturtle, Alon Nashman, who plays Franz Kafka in the show, added: "We endured one tense air raid siren, during which we spent an hour in the hotel bomb shelter.

"It wasn't easy to cross the border, to arrive after curfew to empty streets and darkened buildings.

"We felt from the moment we arrived how significant it was for the people and the artists there to know that we were willing to come, even in the most challenging of circumstances."