Tamara Trunova

Tamara Trunova is a leading Ukrainian theatre director. Since 2011, she has worked at the Kyiv State Drama and Comedy Theatre on the Left Bank (Left Bank Theatre), and in 2019, she was appointed the theatre’s chief director. In 2012, for her production "Passenger in a Suitcase", Trunova received the award for "Elegance in Directorial Form" at the inaugural Les Kurbas National Festival of Young Directors. In 2016, she won the theatre competition Taking the Stage. Her production of "Sasha, Take Out the Trash" (based on the play by Natalia Vorozhbyt) was ranked first in the "Kyiv Score-2017", and her staging of "Bad Roads" (also based on Vorozhbyt's play) topped the "Kyiv Score-2018". In 2019, "Bad Roads" triumphed at the second National Theatre Festival and Awards GRA, winning in three categories: Best Drama Production, Best Musical Score, and Best Directing. In 2021, Trunova was honoured with the "Women in Arts" award in the "Women in Theatre" category. The following year, in 2022, she received the prestigious Shevchenko Prize in the category of "Theatrical Arts". Most recently, in 2023, her production "Home" (written by Nicola McCartney) was shortlisted for the Festival and Awards GRA in the "Best Chamber Production" category. Trunova is also an active participant in international festivals, having twice served on the jury of the Edinburgh Fringe (2016, 2018) — one of the world’s most prestigious theatre events.