Counting Sheep: discover the immersive Ukrainian folk opera bringing Maidan to life

Mark and Marichka Marczyk met on Kiev’s Independence Square as the Maidan revolution tore through Ukraine. Their latest project — self-described Ukrainian folk opera, Counting Sheep — aims to bring their experiences to the masses, immersing visitors into their world by creating a work centered on audience participation.

Performed entirely in Ukrainian, the show wordlessly prompts visitors to sing, dance, build barricades and throw bricks in their own on-stage revolution. Tweeting and photography are both encouraged by the show’s 12 cast members, each dressed as a sheep.

Polyphonic choir music provides the show’s soundtrack, accompanied by the 15-piece Lemon Bucket Orkestra: a self-styled Balkan-gypsy band led by Mark himself.

The performance has appeared across the West since its conception in 2015, boasting sell-out runs at the the SummerWorks Performance Festival and the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The latest performance of Counting Sheep will run at the 3LD Art and Technology Centre in New York until December 17. For more information, click here.