The arrival of a young patient Mieczysław Wojnicz to a health resort in Görbersdorf (now Sokołowsko) coincides with a mysterious death. Is it a coincidence tough? Why are people here eager to discuss any other subject but the missing persons? What are the residents of the guesthouse for gentlemen afraid of? The young patient gingerly enters the territory claimed by men convinced of their own wisdom. After all, every encounter, always fuelled by the Schwärmerei liqueur, is an excellent opportunity to discourse at length about art or philosophy, and eventually – on the superiority of men over women. Meanwhile, gravestones at the local cemetery turn out to be eerily similar to one another. Perhaps each subsequent tirade is only an attempt to hide the fear of the mysterious power responsible for death which lingers in the air? The clock is ticking, the woods surrounding the sanitarium become increasingly menacing, the first November full moon approaches, damp air is permeated by the stench of decay, and Wojnicz still does not know why all eyes (not only human) are on him… and why he keeps hearing that eerie voice coming from every nook and cranny. Did anyone else hear it? Where should you look to see the hidden face of the local landscape?
The theatrical adaptation of the first Olga Tokarczuk’s novel published after her Nobel Prize is an excellent opportunity to reflect on what we actually know about the world and what remains beyond the scope of our vision. Director and author of stage adaptations Robert Talarczyk reaches for “a health resort horror story” of the Nobel laureate to look where our most dormant fears lurk.
Co-producers:
Teatr Śląski im. Stanisława Wyspiańskiego w Katowicach
STUDIO theatregallery in Warsaw
Jerzy Grotowski Institute in Wrocław
Partner:
Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne PWM
PREMIERE:
12 May 2023 Teatr Śląski
19 May 2023 STUDIO theatregallery
23 June 2023 Jerzy Grotowski Institute
