22:42, 30 April 2008

No second performance of play about "Nord-Ost" in Dagestan was staged

The play "In Your Hands" about "Nord-Ost" which failed to be staged in Dagestan after the first show may be staged at the local theatre in Beslan, North Ossetia. Natalia Pelevain, British playwright of Russian origin and the author of the play, relayed this in an interview to the Kasparov.Ru site.

According to Pelevain, the initiative to prohibit the play belongs to the Dagestan president. "Mister Aliev seems to have panicked in connection with the scandal and said a lot he should not have said. In particular, he noted: "Let them try and stage it in Beslan!" Following this, people in Beslan, being very proud, because they did not like somebody to make decisions for them, invited us to their place", tells the playwright.

Ella Kesayeva, head of the "Voice of Beslan" organization, says that such plays must be staged and the audience in Beslan will welcome the play. According to Pelevain, the play authors will send a letter to the local theatre, and a copy to the Ministry of Culture, with a request for permission to go to Beslan and stage the play.