Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare
director
Barbara Wysocka
premiere
23 January 2016
running time
115 min (bez przerwy)
stage
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VIDEO

CAST
ANNA MOSKAL
ANNA MOSKAL
BARBARA WYSOCKA
BARBARA WYSOCKA
ARKADIUSZ BRYKALSKI
ARKADIUSZ BRYKALSKI
MICHAŁ CZACHOR
MICHAŁ CZACHOR
GRZEGORZ FALKOWSKI
GRZEGORZ FALKOWSKI
MICHAŁ JARMICKI
MICHAŁ JARMICKI
MATEUSZ ŁASOWSKI
MATEUSZ ŁASOWSKI

CREATIVES

director – Barbara Wysocka
dramaturg – Tomasz Śpiewak
set designer – Barbara Hanicka
costume designer – Julia Kornacka
lighting director – Artur Sienicki
director's assistant – Marta Aksztin

costume designer's assistant – Kornelia Dzikowska
stage manager – Barbara Sadowska

SYNOPSIS

A political conspiracy, the assassination of the dictator, civil war – Shakespeare used the history of the assassination of Roman dictator Julius Caesar and its consequences to discuss the possible prospect of civil war in England and the society destined for doom.

 

The play by Barbara Wysocka presents the modern political realities created by ruthless politicians who are thirsty for power but lack efficient managerial competence, along with the outline of citizens, the hostages to the political coup that can be easily manipulated on the basis of fabricated arguments and free distribution of public money. It’s a vision of politics which is mainly fuelled by the corpse of the former ruler with words such as Freedom, Honour, Homeland – until they turn into an ominous, political phrase.

 

Barbara Wysocka is a recognised (not only in Poland) actress and a theatre and opera director.  She recently won the main actor price for her role as Idalia in the 1st edition of the Competition for the Staging of the Old Works of Polish Literature “Classics Alive”. She co-creates artistic group CENTRALA.

 

 

REVIEWS
  • Julius Caesar (…) will suck you in and make you feel the rhythm. It’s a powerful depiction of methods that fool the crowds, instil fear of authoritarianism, and show the ineffectuality of its countermeasures. (…) Wysocka’s interventions constitute the most powerful moments of the play. She steps in to impersonate Mark Antony, Caesar’s friend who was absent before. In Shakespeare’s work, Antony is a politician who surpasses the people surrounding him by three classes.   (Witold Mrozek, Gazeta Wyborcza – Stołeczna, nr 19, 25.01.2016)  
  • Polish rock songs from the 80s constitute a fantastic counterpoint. (...) They also become a part of political theatre by Barbara Wysocka that, luckily for us, does not choose the easy way. (...) She values whatever is timeless. The depiction of political manipulation of the society, along with its mechanisms, beguiled crowds, empty promises in exchange for subsequent honours. It never ends and it never changes – says Julius Caesar from Warsaw. A strong message from a fascinating performance.   (Jacek Wakar, Dziennik. Gazeta Prawna, nr 19, 29.01.2016)  
  • Mark Antony is presented in an interesting manner. The role was given to... the director herself. Not only is she one of the most beautiful Mark Antonies ever; she is also the most perverse one. She refers to the crowd and smilingly deprecates the words of the assassin, telling him that he is full of deceit and hypocrisy.   (Jan Bończa-Szabłowski, Rzeczpospolita, 28.01.2016)   
  • Shakespearean tragedy, as depicted by Barbara Wysocka , has not been dismantled; the entire play follows the original text, and only several fragments have been changed. The plot is firmly set in the theatre – it openly uses the scenic illusion and dismantles it ironically.   (Anna Bajek, Res Publica Nowa – publica.pl, 05.02.2016)  
  • Failure awaits those who will persistently try to find in the play any specific allusions to modern times. Wysocka clearly mocks and makes fun of banal associations, such as the idea that Julius Caesar would manifest the traits of the ruling party’s leader in Poland, and Mark Antony would be the leader of the annex party which is forming a coalition, with Brutus being the leader of the political group supporting the ruling party. Asking such questions seems to be pointless. The play is a rather bitter evaluation of ineffectuality, and especially lack of class of the ruling party. It’s a story about a group of demagogues who manifest arrogance, greed for power, and the society which can be manipulated so easily.   (Jan Bończa-Szabłowski, Rzeczpospolita, 28.01.2016)
AWARDS

Golden Yorick 2016 at the 20th Shakespeare Festival in Gdansk was awarded to “Julius Caesar” by Barbara Wysocka, Powszechny Theatre from Warsaw

Teatr Powszechny
im. Zygmunta Hübnera
ul. Jana Zamoyskiego 20
03-801 Warszawa
tickets 22 818 25 16
22 818 48 19