Granny Toma

Orignal title: Баба Тома, 2022Translator: John Freedman, English

Tamara, a resident of a village in the Brovary district, finds herself living under the harsh conditions of the Russian occupation. She faces a difficult choice: what should she do? The lonely 75-year-old woman decides that, in essence, she has nothing to lose. Perhaps this is what gives Granny Toma the greatest freedom — and the least fear.

In her youth, she worked in military units and is familiar with weapons. So she decides to act. While communicating with the occupiers — even feeding them — Tamara carefully observes their positions every day and reports them to her nephew, who heads the local territorial defense unit.

Although there are a few decent people among the Russian soldiers, the occupiers as a whole embody pure evil. Together with other members of the territorial defense, the heroine ultimately defeats them — closing the long-standing chapter of Ukraine’s struggle for liberation.

The play is based on interviews with residents of the Brovary district in the Kyiv region.

Verbatim, documentary drama, 1 Act 1 F
12 pages / 5522 words

Rightsholder contacts: