A one-man-show written and performed by Jack Healy.

Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich was eleven when the Russian Revolution came. Initially excited by the atmosphere of revolutionary change, he was happy to write music in support of the revolution.

But as post revolutionary utopia turned into the murderous authoritarianism of Joseph Stalin, Shostakovich found himself in constant battle with the Composers Union as to whether his work was ‘Soviet’ enough in nature. There was, however, general consensus that with his opera ‘Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk’ he had written the perfect piece of Soviet art…

That is, until Stalin went to see it in 1936 and left before the end in a rage. Overnight the composer became ‘Enemy of the People, Shostakovich’ and lived the rest of his life in constant fear of arrest.

Performed to the back drop of Cormac O’Connor’s sound design based on music from the composer’s extensive catalogue, Jack Healy’s one man show brings an intimate focus to the drama of Shostakovich’s life.

Direction and sound design by Cormac O’Connor.

David Greig (Midsummer), Raymond Scannell (Mimic) and Jack Healy will be in conversation on Thursday 25 June, 4pm at the Artists Guesthouse, 9 Chapel Street, Shandon

Supported by Cork Midsummer Festival