Aleksandr Plotnikov & Mikhail Durnenkov
Alpha Centauri & Something about Navalny
Author Reading
Part of ”Voices Berlin Festival“
- Dialogue
with German subtitles /
Russian /
75 mins.
At the Voices Berlin Festival 2025, the texts speak in their strongest voice: through the authors themselves. These authors come from different generations, work within diverse theatrical traditions, and write across a range of genres — yet all are key figures in contemporary theatre.
Part 1: Aleksandr Plotnikov “Alpha Centauri”
The play “Alpha Centauri” speaks about those who are not usually spoken of. It tells the stories of Soviet cosmonauts who never made it to space — Sergey Kartashov, Valentin Varlamov, Dmitry Zaikin, Vitaly Bondarenko, Sergey Nefedov. Each of them could have been in Gagarin’s place, but a chain of impossible, monstrous coincidences and circumstances robbed them of that chance. And for some, even of life itself. Is there a place for them in the present? For us? For all those who ended up somewhere they never wanted to be? For those cast aside, erased by time, stripped of their dreams and their voice? And how does this eternal triumph — be it the triumph of war or the conquest of space — shape our political consciousness today?
The play by Aleksandr Plotnikov doesn't provide answers, but it offers a perspective on defeat as a way to think about time itself. It's a sensitive discussion, a return of names, a poetic speech that interrupts historical silence.
Part 2: Mikhail Durnenkov “Something about Navalny”
Over his 48 years, Navalny was an opposition politician, a revolutionary, and the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation. He was the poisonous sting that pricked the authorities and exposed the vulnerability of a totalitarian system. A masterful trickster, he inspired people with the words: “I am not afraid, and you should not be afraid either.”
Navalny had many faces. There are thousands of witnesses — those who worked with him, fought against him, loved him, and hated him. Each has their own, true Navalny. That is why this legendary story can only be told as a polyphony — an ancient Greek chorus, a thousand-faced witness to great events.
In Mikhail Durnenkov’s play, dozens of testimonial voices share with the audience their personal truths about Navalny. None claim to be exhaustive or to capture the full scope of the late politician’s personality. Yet each contributes a fragment of the mosaic that, taken together, forms an epic portrait of Alexei Navalny.
Dates
Past
Location
HAU3
Tempelhofer Ufer 10, 10963 BerlinHAU3 unfortunately is not barrier-free. Access to the theatre is via a stairwell (3rd floor). If you need help, please contact our Ticketing & Service team at +49 (0)30 259004-27 or email us at tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de.
