Belarusian play explores love of homeland
A scene from My Homeland. [Photo/Theatre Young]
Theatre Young of Shanghai is set to host the Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama My Homeland. This poignant musical drama explores identity and the bond one feels with native soil.
The story follows Gena, an ordinary plumber with a passion for weaving straw crafts, whose hobby unexpectedly takes him to London. Far from home, he confronts intense nostalgia and a deepened love for his homeland, realizing one loves their country not for particular reasons, but simply because "it is the place where I belong."
The plumber Gena from the play. [Photo/Theatre Young]
The play is woven with traditional Belarusian songs, most notably Kalina, known in English as Guelder Rose by the Water, sung toward the end. The guelder rose, common across Eastern Europe, symbolizes longing and resilience, much like Gena, who preserves tender memories despite the solitude of life abroad.
More than a personal journey, My Homeland is a meditation on self, culture, and our place in the world. Staged as a cosmopolitan comedy, it blends dialogue, storytelling, and projection to create audience immersion and invites viewers not only to watch but to join in shaping the narrative.
If you go
📅 When: Nov 27-29 at 7:30 pm; Nov 30 at 2 pm
📍 Where: Theatre Young, No 1155 Kongjiang Road, Yangpu district
⏳ Duration: Approximately 90 minutes (no intermission)
🎭 Language: Performed in Belarusian, with Chinese and English subtitles
🎫 Ticket price: 180 yuan ($25.32) to 480 yuan
🎟 Ticket purchase: Available through the official ticketing mini program (search for "YOUNG剧场微票务" in WeChat)
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