The organisers of the 8th All-Ukrainian Theatre Festival and Awards «GRA» have announced a shortlist of 14 productions from 13 theatres. Productions from Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Rivne and Khmelnytskyi will compete for awards in seven general and eight individual categories. The winners will be selected by an international jury following live performances in November.
Briefly about the main points
- The shortlist for the 8th «GRA» Award comprises 14 productions.
- The finalists represent theatres from six Ukrainian cities.
- The competition received 92 entries from theatres in 22 towns and cities.
- The Expert Council watched the performances live over a period of three months.
- An international jury will assess the finalists in November.
From 92 entries to 14 finalists
A total of 92 applications were submitted by theatres from 22 cities across Ukraine to take part in the 8th Festival and Awards. At the longlist stage, 34 productions from 28 theatre companies in 11 cities remained, and 14 productions made it onto the shortlist.
The Expert Council drew up the final shortlist following a three-month review of live performances. Professional theatre companies of all ownership types were eligible to enter the competition, and the selection process focused on premieres staged in 2025.
The organisers announced that the shortlist of 14 productions includes 11 state-funded and three independent productions. Festival director Bohdan Strutynskyi highlighted the inclusion of five new teams on the shortlist: theatres from Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia and Lviv, the Kyiv-based INSHA Dance Company and the National House of Music.
Who has been shortlisted?
Two productions have been shortlisted in each of the seven general categories. The finalists include productions by theatres that have previously featured on the «GRI» lists, as well as companies that have made it onto the shortlist for the first time.
- A major dramatic production: *Cassandra* by the Vinnytsia Theatre and *I See You Are Interested in Darkness* by the Maria Zankovetska Theatre.
- Intimate drama performances: «Brecht. Cabaret» by the «Golden Gate» Theatre and «Medea» by the Ivan Franko Theatre in Ivano-Frankivsk.
- Musical performances: «The Moon» by the National Operetta and «Requiem» by the National House of Music, in co-production with the Ivan Franko Theatre.
- Dance and physical theatre: «White Shadow» by the Ivano-Frankivsk Theatre and «EscapistCo» by INSHA Dance Company.
- An artistic collaboration: «LOVE IS» by the Rivne Theatre and «The Journey of the Scholar Dr Leonardo…» by the Ukrainian Small Drama Theatre.
- Plays for children, teenagers and families: «Sex Education: The Girls» Version« by the Lava Theatre and »The First Lesson« by the Khmelnytskyi Theatre.
- A reflection on the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war: *The Aeneid* by the Veterans« Theatre and *Penelope* by the Lesya Ukrainka Theatre in Lviv.
The jury will be in session this autumn
In November, members of the international jury are due to watch all the shortlisted performances live and select the winners. In addition to the seven general categories, the programme includes eight individual awards.
This year, the award for «Best Supporting Role» has been added to the individual categories. As of 14 July, the organisers had not yet announced the composition of the international jury, the exact screening dates, the cities hosting the final, or the date of the awards ceremony.
The programme continues to focus on military themes
The category for the best play reflecting on the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war has featured in the programme for the second festival running. In this year’s final, Kyiv’s «Eneida» and Lviv’s «Penelope» will compete for the award.
The «GRA» Festival was founded by the National Union of Theatre Artists of Ukraine in 2018. The format combines a competition with public performances. The retention of a separate ‘war’ category indicates that this theme has become one of the areas which the festival assesses separately.
