Assembly George Square Studios, Edinburgh
Nina Khyzhna performs a collage of poetic dance-theatre that embodies the everyday trauma of life in Kharkiv

In Pokémon lore, the distortion world is an evil parallel universe. For playwright Lyuba Ilnytska, it feels like an analogy for her native Ukraine under Russia’s unprovoked assault. Much as she would like a giant Pokémon bird to stand over Kharkiv, allowing its residents a peaceful night’s sleep, the reality is something more bleak. There is no escape from the terror.

Working with choreographer Anatolii Sachivko from the city’s Nafta theatre, performer and director Nina Khyzhna makes this theme concrete. As she presents it, the toll of life during wartime is not only psychological but also physical. Whether it is the bombardment of rockets and drones or the adjustment to prosthetics, air raid warnings and emergency Telegram groups, the impact hits the body.