Yanina Hope (writer, actress, producer), Ivanka Polchenko (director), David Royzengurt (producer) bring their show, The Sound of Absence, to the Voila! Festival next month.
“Lenore returns home to an unexpected visitor – a pigeon in her bedroom. Moments later, a phone call from her mother shatters the world: her father is in the Intensive Care Unit, oceans away. Time collapses. She must get to him. But will she make it in time?
When death arrives, it leaves a void that swallows everything. Memories resurface forcing her to confront the man he was, the bond they didn’t share, and the love left unspoken. In order to rebuild herself, Lenore embarks on a solitary journey through time accompanied by poetry and a mysterious doppelganger-pianist.
Blending live sound, movement, and immersive storytelling, The Sound of Absence is an exploration of loss, memory, and the way music becomes our companion in grief.”
Where: The Space
When: 8-9 Nov
Ticket link: https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/the-sound-of-absence/
Tell me a bit about your show. Where did the idea come from?
Yanina: The idea was born after I lost my father about two and a half years ago.
I was looking for a way to process everything that had happened — between us, in our lives, what was shared, and what was left unsaid.
Creating the show became a way to give that experience shape. But it’s not necessarily a show about grief.
It’s really about connection — the visible and invisible ties we have with our parents, the ways those relationships continue to shape us long after words have stopped.
The relationship between a father and daughter is so universal; everyone has a parent, whether present or absent, known or unknown.
I wanted to explore that bond – its tenderness, its complexity – and create something that might resonate with others, sparking reflection, conversation, and maybe even a bit of healing along the way.
Ivanka: I got involved thanks to an invitation from Yanina, who was looking for a director to work on a project mixing text and music.
I am a big fan of music in the theatre and was always dreaming of doing something creative with musicians on stage.
The next step was reading the script draft and realizing we had an incredible true story at the core of the future show.
And when we met with Vladyslav, the contact between the three of us was immediate, I quickly felt that we were on the same wave length.
Working together was an incredible experience, shaping forms both with words and notes, body and melody. At once, challenging and fulfilling.
Why should audiences choose your show? How would you sell it in one sentence?
Yanina: It’s a show about the invisible threads that connect us to our parents — a deeply personal story that becomes universal the moment you see yourself in it.
Ivanka: A healing experience that invites us to rediscover our identity and belonging.
David: Audiences should come if they are drawn to theatre that feels raw, poetic, and deeply human.
In one sentence: “A powerful two-person performance where music and memory intertwine to explore love, loss, and the fragile beauty of being alive.”
What does being part of the Voila! Festival mean to you?
Yanina: Being part of Voila! gives us a real sense of recognition and visibility as a group of international artists working in London.
It’s such a wonderful platform – supportive, open, and genuinely interested in promoting diverse voices and stories.
What I like the most is that the festival truly celebrates the international side of London’s theatre scene.
It brings together artists from all over the world, creating a space where languages, cultures, and ideas can meet and mix.
It feels like being part of a bigger conversation – one that reflects what theatre in London really is: vibrant, diverse, and alive with very different perspectives.
Ivanka: The Voila! Festival is a melting pot of cultures, languages and creative styles. It’s very stimulating to be part of such a diverse community of artists.
It also shows the richness that comes from sharing your cultural DNA with other creatives. In this sense, our project is in a way an embodiment of the Voila! creed.
How did you make a start in the industry?
Yanina: I actually started out in film and TV back in the US – that’s where my career began.
I did a bit of theatre here and there, but I was really drawn to storytelling, so I went on to study screenwriting. I wrote a few short films and a feature, and that slowly pulled me toward playwriting.
I moved to London about six years ago, and since then, theatre has become my main home.
This show is especially exciting because it’s my first project where I’m bringing everything together – writing, acting, and producing.
Ivanka: I have been doing theatre as long as I can remember myself. I was always part of some theatre collective – at school, at uni.
Later, I was very lucky to meet the mentors who guided me into the profession. For some years I was assistant to Bruce Myers, a member of Peter Brook’s company at The Bouffes du Nord.
He gave a lot of workshops for students and actors, and seeing him work was a true theatre apprenticeship.
My first production as a director grew from those sessions and the very talented people I was able to meet.
David: I started with small, experimental projects – solo pieces, collaborations with musicians, and performances that blurred the line between theatre and music.
I’ve always been fascinated by the relationship between sound and emotion, by how music can express what words cannot.
This show grew out of that passion – the meeting point between storytelling, performance, and composition.
What’s next for the show?
Ivanka: We are preparing the run at the Omnibus Theatre in February and looking for opportunity to show the play in other countries.
The music language music is universal, just as the story itself – a poignant account of a relationship between father and daughter that we all can relate to.
David: After Voila!, we plan to continue developing the piece and hopefully bring it to other festivals and venues across Europe.
Each performance reveals something new, both for us and for the audience. The goal is to let the show keep growing – to allow it to breathe, transform, and connect with people who have faced loss in their own way.