Based on member Maria Alyokhina’s memoir of the same name, Riot Days first debuted in March 2017. Over eight years later, as Russia’s horrific war on Ukraine rages onwards and the persecution of dissent continues within Russia, Russian protest art collective Pussy Riot continue to refuse to be silenced.
The screen behind the four figures on stage projects a hard-hitting narrative of the story of Pussy Riot, the violent repression faced by its members from the Russian state, and the wider political context exploring the human rights abuses faced by dissidents and ordinary people alike. It’s raw, unapologetic and defiant. Throughout the hour the members scream and chant, a rallying cry that cannot be ignored. Drums punctuate the cries, and at times the members use their bodies to physically embody what it means to resist – thrashing on stage, pulling off their signature balaclavas and looking us in the eyes. In a world where many politicians too often masquerade violence with warm words, Pussy Riot are an antidote – demonstrating tonight what it means to call out complicity and collusion for what it is, and to fight for true liberation and a world beyond oppression.
Blazing on the screen, a message beams down on us early on: ANYONE CAN BE PUSSY RIOT. It’s hard to leave this hour without feeling profoundly moved – like we can be a part of something bigger than ourselves. A must see.
Pussy Riot: Riot Days, Summerhall, until 23 Aug, 10pm