Olympics arrives at Coventry stage

A new version of Alexander Galin’s 1980 Moscow drama, Stars in the Morning Sky, written by Coventry-based playwright Chris Hannan, will open at the Belgrade Theatre on Saturday March 17 and run until Saturday April 7.

Showing in the theatre’s intimate B2 auditorium, the play, directed by the Belgrade’s artistic director Hamish Glen, tells the story of a group of women, who, after being branded as prostitutes by the authorities, find themselves banned from the streets of Moscow during the 1980 Olympic Games.

In a bid to show the world a cleaned-up version of life in the Soviet Union, these troubled and vulnerable women are banished to a disused mental hospital on the edge of the city.

Facing both brutality and unexpected romance, the characters discover what is precious to them – and cling to it for dear life.

Hamish said: “It’s important to produce this play now, in the year of the London 2012 Olympics, as prostitutes are being moved out of the King’s Cross area and gypsies from the East End because at heart, it’s about those who are excluded from a national celebration.

“This idea of a shared culture is crucial to the play, so instead of transferring the action to a multicultural London, we will be using Irish voice to represent Moscow in 1980.”

Tickets cost from £8.25 to £19.25 and are cheaper if booked online. Call 024 7655 3055 or visit www.belgrade.co.uk