BILL KENWRIGHT LTD
In association with Oxana Symonds and George Fenton for BEMUSE Performing Arts UK
STOCKARD CHANNING AND MICHAEL PRAED
IN
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
THE GATES OF KYIV
THEATRE ROYAL WINDSOR
04-14 September 2024
A play for two actors, a pianist, and a dancer
Theatre Royal Windsor is delighted to announce that one of Hollywood and Broadway’s best-loved actors, Stockard Channing, will take the role of Maria Yudina and renowned British stage and TV actor Michael Praed the role of Shostakovich, narrating the world premiere production of The Gates of Kyiv.
The two actors are joining the cast of The Gates of Kyiv – a unique combination of storytelling, music, and dance – alongside the celebrated Italian-based Russian pianist Gala Chistiakova, and international ballet star Xander Parish OBE, for its world-premiere in Windsor next month.
The Gates of Kyiv tells the story of the extraordinary life of the Soviet piano virtuoso Maria Yudina – fearless protestor, disruptor, and ‘dissident.’ Fiercely defiant of the repressive regime of Joseph Stalin, she publicly denounced him and his regime, yet somehow, she lived. The legend is, she and Stalin met…
The Gates of Kyiv is about the power of the live arts in troubled times, using Yudina’s own original repertoire, ending with her famous and furious rendition of Mussorgsky’s Great Gate of Kyiv. The grandiose designs for the gate which the music references, were intended as a symbol of Tsarist dominance in Ukraine, but it was never actually built. On the 150th anniversary of the piece’s writing, Kyiv stands defiant against Russian invasion.
The Gates of Kyiv is written by playwright, actor and historical biographer Ian Kelly and will be directed by Roxana Silbert.