The Odesa Academic Musical and Dramatic Theater named after Vasilko showcased its new play "Hello, Monster!" directed by Kyiv's Slava Zhila. This romantic comedy, based on Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi's "The Blue Monster," has been translated into Ukrainian for the first time. The performance addresses themes of power and human vice, revealing a world shrouded in illusions where fears fade away into bad dreams.

The premiere of this romantic-mystical comedy in two acts took place at the theater. The play, part of the classic repertoire of world drama, has been translated into Ukrainian for the first time by Viktor Shylo specifically for this production.

"This play is part of the classic repertoire of world drama, yet it had not been translated into Ukrainian before. We are doing it for the first time, thanks to the advice of the theater's artistic director, Yulia Pivovarova. I wanted to bring something Italian to Odesa, and I believe our team has done it quite interestingly," said Slava Zhila.

The plot unfolds in Nanjing, a southern kingdom of China, where true love has been torn apart, and intrigue and rumors abound. The monarch remains oblivious to the fact that his wife is involved with many people in the city, while the inhabitants suffer from monsters. At this time, two lovers appear: a foreign princess and the heir to the throne, who has vanished under mysterious circumstances. They must undergo magical trials, save the kingdom from evil creatures, and remain faithful to each other.

The director explained that the play touches on themes of power hunger, the vice of those who seek it, the end of the world, and the anticipation of a new era. According to him, the dramaturgy is built on the idea that almost every religion has its savior, onto whom people try to shift responsibility. At the same time, the work includes elements of farce, comedy, and satire, along with a discussion about how people often confuse true love with other feelings.