- Full name - «Chornyi Kvadrat» (Black Square Theatre) Improvisation Theatre-Studio (chamber stage, main hall, and other venues)
- Year founded - 1991
- City - Kyiv (Ukraine)
«Chornyi Kvadrat» as a Unique Theatre Format
«Chornyi Kvadrat» is an independent Ukrainian theatre founded in Kyiv in 1991. The theatre was established by actor, director, and creator of a unique method of stage improvisation, Anatolii Neiolov. The first attempts to create the theatre studio began as early as 1986, but the idea only became a fully functioning project five years later. The first admission to the studio took place on September 1, 1991 - out of 92 applicants, 25 were selected. After a month of intensive examinations, only 15 participants remained in the studio.
From the very beginning, «Chornyi Kvadrat» set several ambitious goals:
- to establish a non-governmental educational institution providing professional acting training;
- to discover talented individuals outside the traditional theatre school system;
- to create a permanent experimental stage;
- to build a creative community of free-thinking actors, artists, and playwrights.
Another important mission was to cultivate refined artistic taste and an active civic position among audiences.
The Principle of Improvisation and Live Performance
In 1994, the studio presented its first improvisational KVADRAT show entitled «Chornyi Kvadrat». Black velvet was spread across the center of the stage, while the audience was seated around its perimeter, becoming part of the performance itself. The actors stepped onto the stage without a script, creating a performance with no predetermined plan - simply "here and now." Stories unfolded spontaneously with unexpected twists. Stage improvisation proved so captivating that it quickly became the theatre's defining creative principle.
It was at that point that the theatre fully embraced its identity as the «Chornyi Kvadrat» Improvisation Theatre, where improvisational acting became both a comprehensive educational method and the foundation of every theatrical production.
The company sees its mission as developing living theatre, where actors do not merely perform but truly live on stage. Anatolii Neiolov repeatedly emphasized that improvisation is neither a trick nor a trend but a natural part of life itself. In his view, a true improviser must possess a strong personality, charisma, and inner freedom, because audiences immediately recognize anything artificial.
When an actor genuinely experiences emotions on stage - jealousy, pain, passion, or joy - a unique theatrical experience emerges. That is why an improvisational performance at «ChK» is never repeated. The audience becomes not passive observers but active participants in the event.
Acting Company and Creative Approach
The theatre's acting company is large and diverse, bringing together renowned performers, experienced actors, and emerging talents. Productions feature such stage stars as Oleksii Kurylko, Vasyl Holovanov, Polina Holovanova, Kostiantyn Danyliuk, Dmytro Basii, Oksana Brahynets, Viacheslav Nikonorov, Mykhailo Spivakovskyi, Serhii Fedorchuk, Kseniia Khyzhniak, Andrii Burlaka, Volodymyr Shumko, Iryna Kohut, Oleksandr Rozviakov, Yevhen Amaritsa, Iryna Hatun, and many others.
Most Popular Productions and Performance Formats
The «ChK» repertoire includes dozens of hit productions that have been selling out for years. Among the most popular are the provocative comedy «Swingers, or...», the bold and wildly entertaining «Below the Belt» starring Oleksii Kurylko, the subtle comedy «Two Lines, or Double Solid», the romantic «Games for Adults», the psychological production «The Perfect Weapon of Passion», the relatable «Office. Ignite Your Desire», the explosive comedy «Who Wants Whom», and many others. Particularly popular are the productions from the «Before and After Sex» project: «21 Minutes Before and After Sex», «Take Your Clothes Off - We'll... Talk!», «Lovers Dance in Bed», «9.5 Minutes Before and After Sex», and others.
The theatre's key formats include:
- improvisational shows;
- comedy and club performances;
- interactive productions;
- programs incorporating stand-up elements.
Regular performances take place both in traditional theatre venues and club spaces, including Caribbean Club, ATLAS, the «Krakiv» Cultural Cluster, and other locations. As a result, «Chornyi Kvadrat», whose playbill is always diverse and engaging, welcomes audiences across different parts of the capital. The troupe also tours other Ukrainian cities, including Dnipro, Lviv, Rivne, Cherkasy, Uzhhorod, and Vinnytsia.
Today, «Chornyi Kvadrat» is a Kyiv theatre offering more than just tickets to a performance - it offers a complete live theatre experience where humor, improvisation, and acting talent create a new and unpredictable story every time.
Audience Engagement
After the beginning of the full-scale war, part of the theatre's regular audience moved abroad. Viewers from different countries wrote asking for livestreams of performances, as the studio's work had become an emotional necessity for many of them. The actors themselves compare the theatre to a harmless "drug" that causes no harm but gives powerful emotions and the desire to return again and again.
Today, audiences come to «Chornyi Kvadrat», whose premiere tickets are consistently in high demand, primarily in search of a celebration - an opportunity to forget, if only for an evening, about anxiety, air raid sirens, and constant tension. That is why comedy, humor, and unconventional performances have become even more meaningful. The theatre offers a sense of returning to normal life, where the stage and the audience are united by a shared emotional experience.
Why You Should Experience an Improvisational Performance Live
«Chornyi Kvadrat» is the only improvisation theatre-studio in Ukraine that systematically works according to the principles of "living" acting. Here, improvisation is a theatrical language through which each performance is created in real time through the interaction between actors and the audience. This interactive approach makes spectators active participants, while every production becomes a unique cultural event.
This contemporary theatre combines an experimental stage, comedy improvisation, stand-up elements, and interactive performance, creating theatrical experiences that go beyond the boundaries of traditional theatre.
