Penetrating Europe

PAST PRODUCTION

Penetrating Europe, or Migrants Have Talent

Penetrating Europe, or Migrants Have Talent is a mix of verbatim theatre and talent show based on real-life stories of undocumented migration to the UK.

Written by Uilleam Blacker and directed by Olesya Khromeychuk.

How does it feel to cross the border in a coffin? Or in a fridge? How does it feel to pretend to be someone you’re not? Part verbatim theatre, part musical comedy and part talent show, Penetrating Europe tells the real stories of how a bunch of Ukrainian migrants sneak into Fortress Europe (and how one random British guy goes the other way). You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll gasp at their juggling skills, and at the end of the show we’ll give you, the Great British Public, the chance to vote on which of our plucky migrants gets to stay and which ones get sent home!

Photo: Guy Corbishley, 2016

Edinburgh Fringe, 2016

The Cockpit Theatre, 2017.

Photo: IWOM001 Photography.

Edinburgh Fringe, 2016

Reviews

Fresh, thoughtful and a hell of a lot of fun. Expect music and good acting too.★★★★★ Central and Eastern European London Review
It’s a novel way of exploring how Britain deals with undocumented migrants, and it’s effective. […] The show is funny, the actors are accomplished, there is some beautiful singing and dancing and there is plenty of talent behind the writing which pieced together the verbatim interviews which inspire the stories of the migrants in the play […] balances being entertaining with being thought-provoking and, at times, deeply moving. ★★★★ The Student Newspaper
A sparkling parody on what it takes for migrants to win the hearts and minds of Brits: scintillatingly clever, touching, thought provoking and great fun.★★★★★ Ukrainian Events in London.

Audience Reviews

‘This show will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you think!’‘Smart text, hilarious jokes.’‘Touching, emotional, funny.’‘I was amazed to learn that all the stories of the characters are based on real events.’‘A topical, engaging, well written story. Charmingly presented & cleverly staged. Exactly what a good fringe show should be’.‘It’s a must-see show!’

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