Last Thursday, a violent protest broke out outside the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia, Bulgaria, where US actor and director John Malkovich was set to debut his adaptation of Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man. The protest, led by far-right nationalists, swiftly devolved into chaos. High-profile participants included former MEP Angel Dzhambazki, along with leaders and members of the nationalist Ataka and the pro-Russian Revival (Vazrazhdane) parties, who claimed that the play mocks Bulgaria’s identity.
The controversy arose because of the play’s satirical portrayal of Bulgarian society during the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885.The conflict was a crucial moment for Bulgaria, occurring shortly after its liberation from nearly five centuries of Ottoman control. The war was fought to safeguard Bulgaria's unity with Eastern Rumelia, which had previously been divided despite their shared Bulgarian identity. Shaw uses humor to criticize the romanticization of war and the naivety of the rising Bulgarian bourgeoisie, who are depicted as eager to adopt Western customs while distancing themselves from their Ottoman past. Nationalist protesters, however, saw the play mocking Bulgaria’s fight for independence and undermining national pride. Far-right figures like Angel Dzhambazki saw it as an insult to Bulgarian identity, claiming it portrayed Bulgarians as “barbarians” rather than honoring their historical sacrifices. For these demonstrators, the play’s humor crossed the line into cultural belittlement, intensifying calls for its banning in the name of national honor.
On November 7th, tensions escalated into violence, with demonstrators assaulting theatergoers. Oscar-winning Bulgarian animator Theo Ushev was barred from entering the theater, alongside Vladimir Penev, a famous actor, who was attacked by the radicals. Despite evident aggressiveness and assaults, the police stood idle. Not a single person was arrested as a result of the riots..
This incident is more than an isolated protest, it’s a deliberate attempt to silence art and artists. What unfolded at the Ivan Vazov National Theater reflects a troubling trend of increasing censorship and nationalism, not only in Bulgaria but beyond its borders too. Censorship of the arts is nothing new. History is rife with examples of authoritarian regimes trying to control what people see, read, and believe—from the Soviet Union’s suppression of dissident literature to Nazi Germany’s destruction of so-called “degenerate” art. Even in democratic societies, the specter of censorship looms whenever political tensions rise. The protest against Arms and the Man is a stark reminder of how art remains a prime target for those threatened by its potential to question, provoke, and confront uncomfortable truths. Ultimately, it’s a battle over who gets to decide which stories are told and which voices are heard.
Censorship, whether it takes the form of silencing a play or limiting access to ideas, results in a constrained society in which criticism and creativity are punished. When art, literature, and opinions are controlled, society loses the opportunity to question, reflect, and progress. It typically starts with a play being attacked, a book being banned, or an artist being silenced, but it rarely ends there. The more voices we silence, the smaller our world gets, until we're left with only the echo of what those in power want us to hear. Defending the liberty of art and free expression is more than just defending individual voices, it is protecting the basic foundation of a democracy.
“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” - George Orwell’s 1984
By Diana Yosifova
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