Anton Tymoshenko
Live In Kyiv: Comedy In A War Zone

Live In Kyiv: Comedy In A War Zone

  • Radio documentary
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2022
  • 1 episode

Ukrainian comedian Anton Tymoschenko talks about performing comedy about and during the war in Ukraine. Features Anton Tymoshenko, Sami Shah, Uğur Üngör and Angie Belcher.

Anton Tymoshenko

Key details

Genre
Documentary
Broadcast
2022
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
1
Features
Anton Tymoshenko, Sami Shah, Uğur Üngör and Angie Belcher
Producers
Ed Morrish
Company

In April 2022, two months after his country had been invaded by Russia, with the death toll standing at around 2,500 soldiers and 2,000 civilians, Ukrainian comedian Anton Tymoschenko did what any self-respecting comedian would do - he got on stage in Kyiv and told jokes about the war.

The video of this set - his first in English - went viral, with comedians such as Dara Ó Briain praising its bravery and quality. Anton joked about the effect of the war on Kyiv house prices, his "colleague" Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Russian war crimes. Even the subtitles apologised for their haste - "I was trying not to die".

But how is it possible that when bullets start flying and bombs start dropping, people are still willing to tell jokes - and yet more people are willing laugh? As he toured Ukraine performing stand-up, Anton reflects on what he's learned about comedy - from the point of view of both comedians and audiences - while having to do his job under the most extreme possible conditions.

Catch-up

Additional details

Production
Location

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Thursday 6th October 2022 at 11:30am on BBC Radio 4
Episode length
30 minutes
All previous repeats
  • Monday 10th October 2022 at 4:00pm on Radio 4

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