The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria comes to the Edinburgh Fringe to share a largely forgotten story of World War II. Winner of the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work at VAULT Festival 2020, this darkly comic retelling is told in Out of Forest Theatre’s inimitable style: combining historical theatre and folk music with a modern revisionist twist.
The energetic production explores the suspicious circumstances of the King of Bulgaria’s demise, how 50,000 Jewish people were saved from deportation and death, and how the world forgot all about it. The ensemble performs Bulgarian and Jewish folk tunes live while sharing this unique story from 20th century European history.
Today, England has left the EU, closing its borders and is experiencing a rise in antisemitism and xenophobia. 2023 marks 80 years since the events of The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria, with the anniversary of the mysterious death coinciding with the final day of Edinburgh Fringe. This play is a call to arms that there is power in being good and ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Even the smallest David can become a Goliath.
Sasha Wilson comments, My grandfather, who passed away in October a few days shy of his 101st birthday, instilled in me pride in being Bulgarian and speaking Bulgarian. So, when I stumbled across a biography on his bookshelf of a Bulgarian King – who against all odds rescued 50,000 Jewish people during World War II – I was astonished that I’d never even heard of the events. Our research revealed itself to be much more thorny and prescient for our times.
Whether a jazz fan, a history buff or just someone who loves gripping real-life stories, this is a must see (Kyril, Prince of Preslav, Boris III’s grandson).
This tightly paced and precisely staged show… turns a complex episode of European history into an enjoyable and irresistible piece of theatre (★★★★★ British Theatre).
