Sydney Theatre Company and Commonwealth Bank present
The White Guard
by Mikhail Bulgakov
In a new version by Andrew Upton

Set in the Ukraine, where the Russian Revolution is sweeping towards Kiev, the play follows the Turbin family as they gather in their home to prepare for the Bolsheviks’ arrival. With the city in chaos, the time has come for its residents to fight or flee.

Turbin brothers Alexi and Nikolai have resolved to stay and fight for The White Guard but with Russia broken up into pieces, battling to pull it back together will not be a straightforward task. As the men ready themselves for the fight, their consistently pragmatic sister Lena strives to maintain calm and order in a home as chaotic as the streets outside. Friends dash in, opportunistic suitors swing by and a sweet, bumbling family member descends unannounced. However, amid all of these arrivals, Lena will also be confronted with a painful and conspicuous departure…

This is a drama that has endured the test of time and its most recent revival, at London’s National Theatre last year, received 5-star reviews in which Andrew Upton’s adaptation of the play was described as “Thrilling, darkly comic and often deeply moving...” by The Daily Telegraph (UK).

SYDNEY THEATRE
Schools Day Wed 15 June
Pre-show Intro 10:30am, 45 minutes
Performance 12:15pm
Duration 2 Hours 40 Minutes, including interval
Post-show Q&A immediately following, 15 minutes

Content Adult themes, strong language

Suits Years 10 - 12

Cost $21/student

Curriculum Links: 
History - Russia and the Soviet Union 1917-1941, War and peace, The World at the beginning of the 20th Century

Drama - Political/Protest Theatre

English - Representation and Text: Conflicting perspectives

Resources:  Comprehensive student and teacher resources provided