The musical "Insects"

The musical "Insects," directed by Oksana Taranenko, is based on the Čapek brothers' play From the Life of the Insects (1923) — a work whose prophetic relevance continues to resonate today, inspiring a fresh Ukrainian interpretation.

Composer Ivan Nebesnyi, alongside poet and librettist Mykola Brovchenko, has crafted a phantasmagorical modern musical that explores the processes of dehumanization and the steep price of preserving one’s humanity.

At the heart of the plot is Felix, a poet who experiences a distorted reflection of his own life within a dream: a world where humans take on the guise of cruel insects. He faces a grueling choice — to remain human or to accept the rules of a soulless reality where words become tools of power and manipulation. His talent brings him success, wealth, and influence — but at the cost of losing his very essence.

The production poses an open and unsettling question: what choice is humanity making today — and can we ever wake up from our own nightmare?