The European Theatre Convention stands in full solidarity with the Royal District Theatre in Tbilisi, Georgia, which is facing severe repression for the performance of LIBERTÉ [trigger warning], which has been called “blasphemous” and “propaganda of LGBT”.
As artistic freedom comes under direct attack, we urge our members and partners to amplify their voices by sharing their story and, where possible, including LIBERTÉ [trigger warning] in your programmes, festivals, or venues.
Below you will find the open letter written by Director Data Tavadze and the Royal District Theatre, calling for international solidarity and support.
From Data Tavadze and the Team at Royal District Theatre, Tbilisi
Dear friends and colleagues,
We are reaching out to share our dangerous and challenging situation and ask for your solidarity and support.
As many of you know, the Royal District Theatre has been deeply engaged in Georgia’s protest movement, standing at the forefront of civil resistance for nearly 180 days.
As a result, we are now under direct and escalating attack from government-controlled media outlets and certain factions within the Church that have weaponised our performance of LIBERTÉ [trigger warning], calling it “blasphemous” and “propaganda of LGBT”.
The immediate trigger for this onslaught was the illegal recording and repeated broadcast of a 30-second clip from the performance, which was staged at the Royal District Theatre. The footage—featuring a half-naked actor and the audio recording of text—has been aired hourly for four consecutive days across all state-aligned propaganda channels.
This campaign has gone far beyond criticism. The Patriarchate of Georgia has threatened to excommunicate us, effectively encouraging extremist groups to act against us with impunity. We are facing a barrage of false accusations, public defamation, and misrepresentation—not through dialogue but through systematic attempts to silence and erase our voices.
On May 10th, ultra-right-wing mobs gathered outside the theatre, inciting violence and demanding the defunding of our institution. These groups—some with known Russian affiliations—have shared private information, including the home address of Data Tavadze, while openly calling for physical harm. A planted group of so-called “Tytushki” physically attacked members of our audience and pelted the theatre with eggs. The situation is so grave that some of us seriously consider leaving the country for our safety.
Our LIBERTÉ [trigger warning] production was most recently presented at the Warsaw Dramatic Theatre on May 18 and 19 as part of the Warsaw Theatre Meetings. The management of the Warsaw Dramatic Theatre has kindly offered to store the set of performances at their theatre, as it is impossible to perform the play in Tbilisi anymore.
We are seeking festivals/venues that would be interested in presenting Liberté [trigger warning] in their programs to sustain the life of this performance.
This is not an isolated attack. In recent months, the government has closed the only school for playwrights in Georgia—a school co-managed by Data Tavadze for the past 11 years. Shortly after, David Doiashvili was dismissed as director of the New State Theatre—the only public theatre openly supporting the protest movement. Actor Andro Chichinadze, a member of that same ensemble, has already been unlawfully imprisoned for five months together with 50 other prisoners whose guild no one can prove.
A group known as “Anti-Maidan”—created to simulate opposition to Georgia’s genuine pro-European protest movement—has filed a court case against Data Tavadze for allegedly “offending religious feelings.”
We are sharing this with you because we believe it is essential that our story is heard beyond Georgia. What is happening to us is part of a larger struggle for freedom of expression, artistic integrity, and democracy.
We ask you to stand with Georgian artists, share our story, speak out, and help us ensure the light of free expression is not extinguished.
With gratitude,
Data Tavadze & Royal District Theatre
Tbilisi, Georgia
Additional Links
- Pro-government media, MPs, and Patriarchate attack Tbilisi theatre’s ‘blasphemous’ play
- Demonstration in front of the Royal District Theatre organised by the Primakov Russian Center
- Repression: Georgia's government cracks down on theatre scene
- Georgia protests: Theatre is the last stage standing for the voice of freedom
- Letter from Georgia – Director Data Tavadze about the mass protests in Tblisi and beyond
- The open letter on Resistance Now Together
Cover photo: Tblisi/The Rustaveli National Theater in a fog of tear gas © Mariam Nikuradze
