The End of Man?!? Dispatch from the Kitchen

This multi-genre production by Spitfire Company draws inspiration from the writings of Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich. A duo of performers transforms into evening news anchors, but instead of official broadcasts they voice personal testimonies of people scarred by war, the Chernobyl disaster and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The performance lays bare how propaganda distorts reality and pushes human suffering out of the public eye.

Audiences watch a live animation “broadcast” on television as a surreal news report. The playful format gradually evolves into a chilling dispatch on human helplessness within a totalitarian system, highlighting the dangers of disinformation and indifference. It stands as a powerful statement on memory, power and what can be spoken in a society ruled by fear.

Winner of The Scotsman Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023, with four-star reviews in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Scotsman and The List.