Taking on ‘Europe’s last dictator’
Sir Tom Stoppard, the award-winning playwright, talks about using art to spur political change in Belarus.
Award-winning British playwright Sir Tom Stoppard talks to us about his use of theatre to spur political change in Belarus, the Eastern European country that has been described as “Europe’s last dictatorship”.
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For 16 years Belarus has been under the rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, who was recently re-elected for a fourth term. More than 600 people including opposition presidential candidates were arrested after protesting against what international observers ruled a “flawed” election.
Among these detained were members of the small underground troupe, the Belarus Free Theatre, which since 2005 has used the stage to fight censorship and to showcase its country’s problems.
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On Wednesday’s show, we discuss how the arts can influence change in the political arena. Can the voice of popular artists have any real impact on the world of politics?
This episode of Riz Khan aired from Wednesday, January 26, 2010.
Published On 26 Jan 2011