Europe | ‘Twere well it were done quickly

The prospect of early elections in Ukraine has everyone in a spin

Volodymyr Zelensky may hold elections after all

Photograph: Pou/RopI/Zuma Press/Eyevine
|Kyiv

THE PREMIERE on February 28th of a new staging of “Macbeth” in Kyiv was initially eclipsed by the diplomatic disaster the same day between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the White House. The production has since become the talk of the city’s elite. Ivan Urivsky, the director, says he decided to put on the tragedy after sensing a change in the country’s mood since Mr Trump’s election: “You can’t do theatre without thinking about politics, war or the people watching.” His viewers are drawing parallels between Shakespeare’s characters and current events. For some, Macbeth resembles the bloodthirsty dictator in Moscow. For others the story of ambition, power and treachery feels closer to home.

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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “‘Twere well it were done quickly”

From the April 5th 2025 edition

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