Contemporary Ukrainian prose is increasingly coming to life on the theater stage. In the spring and summer of 2026, both state and independent theaters are preparing premieres based on books of various genres – from fantasy with erotic motifs to medical thrillers. Many of these works have already become bestsellers and now have every chance of selling out theaters in Ukrainian cities.
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“I see you're interested in the dark”
May 1, 2, ICCM
Maksym Holenko's play based on the novel of the same name by Illarion Pavlyuk will continue to tour Ukraine in April and May. It is a co-production of the Wild Theater and the Lviv Maria Zankovetska Theater.
The events unfold in the quaint village of Buskiv Sad, where criminal psychologist Andriy Gaister (played by Grigory Baklanov) arrives to investigate the disappearance of a girl. Instead of answers, he stumbles upon the eerie mystery of a place from which no one has returned.
Despite the crazy hype around tickets and a powerful team, before the premiere and the start of a large-scale tour, there was still some intrigue as to whether “The Darkness” would be a complete success on stage. This was said by Yaroslava Kravchenko, producer and director of the Wild Theater.
“There was still a certain amount of apprehension due to the volume of the material and the mystical component, which is not easy to embody in the theater. But after the premiere, it became clear that these fears were in vain. At the first three screenings in Kyiv, I did not see a single familiar audience member – the tickets were bought up by fans of the novel,” comments Yaroslava Kravchenko.
“Dancing with Bones”
Summer 2026
In the summer of 2026, “Wild Theater” plans to release another “book” premiere, which also promises to be a big hit. It is based on one of the most discussed new Ukrainian bestsellers – the medical thriller “Dances with Bones” by Andriy Semyankiv (Med Goblin).
The action takes place in a morgue, where pathologist Severyn works – a loser who agrees to a dangerous and inhumane deal. The play promises a gloomy atmosphere and unanswered questions.
“Dancing with Bones is a novel that struck with its cynicism. It is a story about the fact that good does not always win, about impunity, and about the loss of humanity. Sometimes we lose empathy in order to preserve ourselves. Sometimes people give up humanity because it is more convenient. I really wanted to show this story in the theater,” Yaroslava Kravchenko comments on the choice of material.
“Lake Wind”
May 2, 3, Garmyder Theater, Lutsk
The Lutsk Independent Theater “Garmider” is preparing a performance based on the work of the same name by writer and translator Yurko Pokalchuk. The work will be staged for the first time.
“Lake Wind” is a Volyn fantasy with very gentle erotic motifs, combining mythological and sensuality. The center of the story is Volyn (played by Artur Berezovsky), who was born a human, but later turned into a lake prince. The staging was created by director Ruslana Porytska. The play uses authentic songs and legends of Volyn, original costumes and masks.
Yurko Pokalchuk was inspired to write “The Lake Wind” by Stephen King's novels and sentiment for his native land, its soul, and mythology. The premiere will take place on May 2 and 3 in Lutsk, and after that the play will go on tour across Ukraine.
The performance is part of a multimedia project that draws attention to the figure of Yurko Pokalchuk. In addition to the theater, the following are involved: the literary platform “Frontera” and the public platform “Algorithm of Actions”.
“Tiger Hunters”
June 2026
The Kyiv Academic Theater “Golden Gates” continues work on the staging of Ivan Bahryany's novel “Tiger Hunters”. The story of the adventure work about Grigory Mnohogrishny, who escapes from the “death train” of the NKVD and finds shelter in the Sirki family – tiger hunters, is planned to be told in a new way. Director Pavlo Shpegun defines this form as a “legend” and adds that in the work he uses techniques that echo the principles of Japanese theater – Noh and Kabuki.
“We have formed a strong and very lively team that is truly passionate about the process. We found an interesting approach through live music: it leads the scenes and forces the audience's imagination to play out. Even the weapons in the play are conveyed through music – because we, Ukrainians, do not need to see weapons to imagine them,” comments Pavlo Shpehun.
The premiere is scheduled for June 2026.
“Where the sun sets”
Another popular work by contemporary author Olena Pshenichna is being staged on the chamber stage of the Franko Theater. The premiere was announced for April. The novel tells the story of a pensioner, Vera, who finds herself in a home for the elderly at the beginning of a full-scale war. The author herself is working on the staging together with director Taras Zhirk.
He shares that the biggest challenge was turning a voluminous novel into a stage story lasting one and a half to two hours.
“It's like you're creating a new route for your characters. The book text is like 3D: dialogues, internal monologues of the characters, memories. And the stage requires living “here and now”. I remember that before I sat down to write the play, I bought the audiobook “Where the Sun Sets”, which I voiced myself, and listened to it over and over again for two days. It was a very strange feeling when you listen to yourself voicing a book that you wrote yourself. But it helped me truly settle into this story again. Then I locked myself in my office for almost three days and wrote,” says Olena Pshenichna. She adds that the first reading with the actors was a very painful moment.
“Director Taras Zhyrko read the text of the play aloud for the first time, the actors listened to it for the first time, and I watched (very timidly) for the first time the reactions of those thanks to whom my sparrows (that's what I call my old ones) would come to life. They laughed and cried. It was truly magic. Nowadays, magic happens at rehearsals,” says the author.
“Doctor Seraphicus”
Spring 2026
By an interesting coincidence, the capital's Maly Theater will soon present a story based on the work of one of the heroes of “Amadoka” – Viktor (Petrov) Domontovich. His “Doctor Seraphicus” will receive a stage incarnation for the first time. The production was undertaken by actor Stanislav Veselsky, who already has several successful directorial works.
The production is being described as a theatrical essay about eccentric professors and complicated love. The premiere is scheduled for spring 2026.
Another Franko Theater production based on Sofia Andrukhovych's bestseller “Amadoka” has also been announced for spring 2026. There is no exact premiere date yet confirmed by the theater. The first part of the work has already been released in Lyon, France, and the second will be shown in Kyiv.