PussyRiot need little introduction, the Russian protest art collective have one of the most important voices of the last 10 years who’s lyrical themes include feminism, LGBT rights, and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom the group consider to be a dictator.

Gaining global notoriety in 2012 when three of the groups members, Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich were imprisoned for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” for their performance inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, a protest directed at the Orthodox Church leaders’ support of Putin during his election campaign.

Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikov were released in December 2013 (Samutsevich was freed on probation in 2012). In March 2014, Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova founded Zona Prava, an organization that defends prisoners’ rights. Alyokhina is a recipient of the Lennon Ono Grant for Peace and has also been awarded the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought.

In September 2017, Maria Alyokhina will release her memoir RIOT DAYS (Penguin Books); the accompanying piece to the book is the touring play RIOT DAYS (“Revolution”) that merges punk, electronica, theatre, documentary footage and protest.

RIOT DAYS (“Revolution”) will see Maria Alyokhina, Kyril Masheka (her main stage partner on “Burning Doors”), Nastya (one of the leaders of Pussy Riot of 2011-2012) and Max of the music duo AWOTT (Asian Women On The Telephone), and Olga (another Pussy Riot member), perform throughout the UK & Ireland. The project is produced by Alexander Cheparukhin and directed by Yury Muravitsky - one of the leading Russian theatre directors, winner of the “Golden Mask” annual Russian theatre award.

Join Pussy Riot Theatre founder member Masha Alyokhina as she retells the story of the ‘Punk Prayer’, the collective’s protest in a Moscow cathedral that landed her nearly two years in prison. With fevered monologues underpinned by real footage and frenetic noise-punk, Riot Days takes us back to 2012 as Alyokhina and Pussy Riot ascend the altar of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour for a guerilla performance protesting the Orthodox Church’s support for Putin during his election campaign. Alyokhina then takes us with her as she’s bundled into the back of an autozak – a Russian acronym meaning ‘automobile for the incarcerated’ – recounting strip searches and solitary confinement during her stint in a Siberian penal colony. It’s disturbing but defiant, courageous and energising – a testament to the power of resistance and activism.

It’s all based on Alyokhina’s new book, also called Riot Days, that revisits the events leading up to her incarceration. Together with a host of collaborators, she’s transformed the book into this unique piece of performance art for fractious times – exploring resistance and protest around the world.

Tickets through www.ticketmaster.ie & usual outlets nationwide.