The demonstrators tried to storm the Ivan Vazov National Theatre on Thursday, claiming that the play Arms and the Man, written by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw and set during the 1885 Serbo-Bulgarian War, is anti-Bulgarian and insults Bulgarian heroes of the war.
Their attempts to get into the theater led to clashes with police, and many people who had bought tickets for the play were prevented from attending.
Malkovich, who has visited Bulgaria several times before, addressed the near-empty auditorium, thanking those who managed to attend despite the chaos outside.
He said: “Thank you for your presence and for the effort you made to enter the hall.”
Protestors also attempted to assault the theater’s director, Vassil Vassilev, demanding his resignation.
In response, Vassilev said: “I think this protest is currently illegal. It’s a shame that 2024 is the year that someone wants censorship. Is this our country? Have we come to this? After 100 years, storming the National Theatre. That’s unheard of.”
Theodore Ushev, a leading Bulgarian director, was also attacked while leaving the building, prompting him to liken the event to Kristallnacht.
Ushev said: “Is this democracy, is this the rule of law, is this the right of reply, is this the right to vote? Is this how things will happen in this country? For me, this is an absolutely fascist country. Tonight is Kristallnacht in Bulgaria.”
During a news conference ahead of the premiere, Malkovich, who had previously staged the play on Broadway in 1985, said he was interested in doing quality theater and considered Arms and the Man to be a good play.
