Reviews

The show has the power of restoring energy within the spectators—energy which many of us are lacking in these times of general anesthesia.

Georges Banu, Theatre Critic, France

We Are Leaving is quite a surprising comeback for Warlikowski. Those expecting another "grand" spectacle, and a skilfully created dramatic mosaic to decipher, may be surprised. Instead of a meaning-heavy narrative, he has created a story about a small, narrow[LTR1]  life with the semblance of movement.

Marcelina Obarska,Theatre Critic and Artist, Poland

About We Are Leaving

Krum returns to his homeland after an unsuccessful expedition abroad, hoping to find some sense of fulfillment. But now, everyone is packing up to leave. In Levin's text, a great world migration of peoples finds a local face and local scale to reflect all the anxieties and movements taking place on the macro scale.

In this play, subtitled Comedy with Eight Funerals,the journey most often leads to "the other side." Despite this one-way ticket, the desire for the journey does not diminish. Is it really truethat life is elsewhere? Or maybe it is better and smarter for us to focus on building a community where we are? Is it time for romantic gestures, or maybe for grassroots work for the common good?

Credits

Adapted from Suitcase Packers by Hanoch Levin

Director: Krzysztofb Warlikowski

Translator: Jacek Poniedziałek

Adaptation: Krzysztof Warlikowski, Piotr Gruszczyński

Cast: Bartosz Bielenia, Ewa Błaszczyk, Mariusz Bonaszewski, Andrzej Chyra, Magdalena Cielecka, Ewa Dałkowska, Maciej Gąsiu Gośniowski, Małgorzata Hajewska–Krzysztofik, Wojciech Kalarus, Rafał Maćkowiak, Monika Niemczyk, Maja Ostaszewska, Ewelina Pankowska, Jaśmina Polak, Piotrn Polak, Jacek Poniedziałek, Magdalena Popławska, Ewa Skibińska, Paweł Tomaszewski

Dramaturgy: Piotr GruszczyŃski

Set Design/Costumes: Małgorzata Szczęśniak

Lighting Design: Felice Ross

Music: Paweł Mykietyn

Choreography: Claude Bardouil

Animation/Video: Kamil Polak

Assistant Director: Jeremi Pedowicz

Technical Director: Paweł Kamionka

Stage Manager: Łukasz JÓŹkÓW

Sound Technician: Mirosław Burkot

Lighting Technician: Dariusz Adamski

Video Technician: Tomasz JÓŹwin

Make Up: Joanna Chudyk, Monika Kaleta

Props: Tomasz Laskowski

Stage: Kacper Maszkiewicz, Robert Tomala

Wardrobe: Elżbieta Fornalska, Ewa Sokołowska

Tour Manager/Subtitles: Zofia Szymanowska

Production: Nowy Teatr, Warsaw

Co-production: Théâtre National de Chaillot (Paris), Comédie de Clermont-Ferrand, Athens Epidaurus Festival, Théâtre de Liège, Bonlieu Scène Nationale (Annecy), CULTURESCAPES Switzerland

This Project was supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Polish Institute - Culture Service of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Beijing. 

Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

About Krzysztof Warlikowski

Krzysztof Warlikowski, born in Poland in 1962, is one of Europe's most prominent theatre and opera directors, and the founder and Artistic Director of Nowy Teatr. In collaboration with scenic designer Małgorzata Szczęśniak, Warlikowski creates outstanding theatrical images. Through his work process, he leads his actors to reach the deepest layers of their creativity. He has created a new way of staging Shakespeare, and his body of work contains subversive interpretations of Greek tragedies. He is also well known for his staging of modern authors.

About Nowy Teatr

The Nowy Teatr grew out of the work of Krysztof Warikowski, who opened up the dramatic art in a radical way to socially meaningful,often controversial, thematic and formal experiments on Polish and foreign plays. These experiments motivate their audiences with themes that challenge the existing order and encourage critical thinking. Nowy Teatr strives to produce shows for all age groups. The company produces and promotes Polish theatre internationally, creating a springboard for dialogue and collaboration, a new and free artistic environment for invited artists. Their theatre is a place where art expands the playing field, raising bold questions about the natural and human conditions, and communities in the making.