We spoke with Alexandra Viktoria about They Do Not Seek Good From Good, a play bringing post-Soviet Podolsk to the London stage, exploring identity, intergenerational conflict, and the enduring pull between tradition and progress.
What drew you to set They Do Not Seek Good From Good in post-Soviet Podolsk, and how did that context help you explore universal themes of change and identity?
Podolsk has an industrial history that grew especially during wartime with the development of new factories. It was a highly populated city in the Moscow region, and as it resides so close to the big city, Anya feels its pull – and the idea of a greater life even beyond that. The post-Soviet period was one that encountered both economic and social collapse, leading to thousands of post-Soviet citizens fleeing to English-speaking countries and abandoning what they knew. Podolsk represents the rapidity of this social change in response to cultural or political instability, and a zeitgeist that ultimately fuels Anya’s determination to go abroad.
As both director and producer, how do you balance staying faithful to your own vision with allowing your cast and creative team the freedom to shape the work?
As Director, Producer, Writer, and Songwriter, the show is definitely something I am incredibly passionate about! But my vision would be incomplete without the care and talent of my incredible production team and cast. Collaboration is an integral part of theatre’s beauty, and I believe that the best productions are ones that are a melting pot of different ideas, people, and passions. This is especially the case with my play since it explores such individually personal themes like identity and generational conflict. Everyone brings a little of themselves to this show, and for that I am very grateful. I see the script and concepts I’ve put on the table as an opportunity for me and my team (and audience) to mould something truly special that can take exciting twists and turns.
How have your experiences as an actor influenced the way you approach writing and directing a play rooted in intimate, kitchen-sink realism?
I have always been fascinated by working with naturalistic scripts that are emotionally complex and feel like a window into someone’s real life without any sugar-coating. Exploring and analysing the character’s psychology constantly reveals new things and teaches me more about myself through their unflinching grit. These scripts make performances that, in only a few lines or subtle glances, can summarise the inner turmoil that a character feels in an incredibly potent and striking way. A particularly inspirational experience was watching the Almeida Theatre’s Angry and Young 2024 season. Such texts defied what was typically expected of drama, and as a result can offer us a vibrantly honest reflection on mundane existence and universal issues that resonate in a uniquely special way.
The play blends neo-Chekhovian naturalism with tragicomedy—what do you think this hybrid form offers to contemporary audiences?
During my studies of English Literature, I wrote my dissertation on Anton Chekhov’s influences on modern English playwriting and his rebellion against 20th century melodramatic tradition. I am interested in how combining both naturalism with tragicomedy effectively keeps a realistic flow to the plot and dialogue, engaging with jumps between humorous and more melancholic moments. In real life, nothing is pre-determined, and nothing ever follows an expected linear plot. We are constantly aware of the social interactions and stimuli around us, and that can dramatically and unpredictably impact our situational behaviour. Combining these two forms allows for a narrative and setting that mirrors real circumstances and affects audiences with relatable and powerful dialogue.
What role does intergenerational conflict play in the story, and how does it reflect your own perspectives on tradition versus progress?
Intergenerational conflict is central to Anya’s story. We are constantly submerged in a process of becoming and ceasing to be, shaped by our past and circumstances, and Anya feels that she can only pursue her capabilities if she prioritises stepping into intellectualism over traditionalism. She is determined to start afresh, and believes that to do so she must entirely remove herself from traditional regularity to fulfil her potential. This contrasts with other characters that believe individual progress can be attained with traditionalism acting as an anchor leveraging change. I believe that what we see as ‘tradition’ or ‘progress’ are constantly changing; they act as interweaving forces that shape our experience in interesting ways depending on our own motivations.
What reactions or reflections are you hoping the audience take away after seeing They Do Not Seek Good From Good?
I hope that the play uproots audience expectation and gives them a reflection on the universality of the familial themes and social struggles in Anya’s khrushevka home. Generational difference is, after all, central to many people’s experiences in a world encumbered with conflict and change, and can cause difficulty in the development of one’s identity. I hope that They Do Not Seek Good From Good is an opportunity for audiences to see something of themselves reflected in the characters, bringing a bravely new, vibrant, and culturally enriching insight to London’s fringe theatre scene.
For info and listing: https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/they-do-not-seek-good-from-good/