Capri – the Island of Fugitives
Curzio Malaparte's „Kaputt” and „The Skin”
director
Krystian Lupa
premiere
12 October 2019
running time
5 h 40 min (3 akty, 2 przerwy)
stage
scena duża
UPCOMING SHOWS
not in repertoire

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

CAST
KAROLINA ADAMCZYK
KAROLINA ADAMCZYK
Karolina, Frau Gassner, Tancerka 1, Pielęgniarka, Marica, Pepo
GRZEGORZ ARTMAN
GRZEGORZ ARTMAN
Axel Munthe, Malaparte, Giorgio Calvi di Bergolo
MICHAŁ CZACHOR
MICHAŁ CZACHOR
Nosferatu, Hans Frank, Kapelan, George
MICHALINA DEMENT-ŻEMŁA
MICHALINA DEMENT-ŻEMŁA
guest
Claudia
ANNA ILCZUK
ANNA ILCZUK
Brigitte Bardot, Luisa, Lublia
MICHAŁ JARMICKI
MICHAŁ JARMICKI
Michał, Herr Fischer, Pułkownik Eliot
ANDRZEJ  KŁAK
ANDRZEJ KŁAK
Widz, Ślepy żołnierz 2, Malaparte – sobowtór, Jack
MAGDALENA KOLEŚNIK
MAGDALENA KOLEŚNIK
Ewa, Magda, Tancerka 2, Ilsa, Zuzanna
MATEUSZ ŁASOWSKI
MATEUSZ ŁASOWSKI
Mateusz, Herr Wachter, Max Schmeling, Rewolucjonista
VOVA MAKOVSKYI
VOVA MAKOVSKYI
guest
Jesus Chrystus, Hans, Jean-Louis
MONIKA NIEMCZYK
MONIKA NIEMCZYK
guest
Bridge women, Księżna Piemontu
FILIP ORLIŃSKI
FILIP ORLIŃSKI
guest
Kelner
HALINA RASIAKÓWNA
HALINA RASIAKÓWNA
guest
Bridge women, Mrs. Flat
MARIA ROBASZKIEWICZ
MARIA ROBASZKIEWICZ
Bridge women, Brigitte Frank,
NIKODEM  ROZBICKI
NIKODEM ROZBICKI
guest
Kelner, Indywidualista
KAROLINA RZEPA
KAROLINA RZEPA
guest; replacement for M. Koleśnik
Ewa, Karolina, Tancerka 2, Ilsa, Zuzanna
KARINA SEWERYN
KARINA SEWERYN
Francesca, Frau Wachter, Kelnerka, Zoja, Fernado
PIOTR SKIBA
PIOTR SKIBA
guest
Narrator, Narrator – Majordomus, Staruszka
EWA SKIBIŃSKA
EWA SKIBIŃSKA
Kobieta czesząca włosy w końcówce powieści „Kaputt”, Bridge women, Frau Fischer
JULIAN ŚWIEŻEWSKI
JULIAN ŚWIEŻEWSKI
Adam, Piccoli, Malaparte,
PAWEŁ TOMASZEWSKI
PAWEŁ TOMASZEWSKI
guest
Jean-Luc Godard, Człowiek Himmlera, Fred, Cicillo
MATEUSZ WIĘCŁAWEK
MATEUSZ WIĘCŁAWEK
guest
Telewidz, Herr Gassner, Ślepy żołnierz 1, Komunista
WOJCIECH WÓJCIK
WOJCIECH WÓJCIK
guest
Kelner
MICHAŁ ZIELIŃSKI
MICHAŁ ZIELIŃSKI
guest
Kelner
WOJCIECH ZIEMIAŃSKI
WOJCIECH ZIEMIAŃSKI
guest
Fritz Lang, Generał Cork

CREATIVES

director, scriptor and set designer – Krystian Lupa
music – Bogumił Misala

costumes – Piotr Skiba
video – Natan Berkowicz, Adam Suzin

dramaturg, director's assistant – Maksym Teteruk

main director's assistant – Michalina Dement-Żemła
director's assistants – Julia Ongirska, Karolina Szczypek
stage manager – Iza Stolarska

cast – Karolina Adamczyk, Grzegorz Artman, Michał Czachor, Michalina Dement-Żemła, Anna Ilczuk, Michał Jarmicki, Andrzej Kłak, Magdalena Koleśnik/Karolina Rzepa, Mateusz Łasowski, Vova Makovskyi, Monika Niemczyk, Filip Orliński, Halina Rasiakówna, Maria Robaszkiewicz, Nikodem Rozbicki, Karina Seweryn, Piotr Skiba, Ewa Skibińska, Julian Świeżewski, Paweł Tomaszewski, Mateusz Więcławek, Wojciech Wójcik, Michał Zieliński, Wojciech Ziemiański


supernumeraries – Piotr Choma, Kacper Dykban, Karol Helewski, Maciej Kobiela, Ignacy Martusewicz, Tomasz Mechowicki, Olaf Staszkiewicz, Mariusz Urbaniec, Filip Warot,
Patryk Wereszczyński   

 

cast in videos – Ryszard Abraham, Alicja Czerniewicz, Marta Fidura, Mikołaj Gajowy, Michał Iwaszkiewicz, Gustaw Kowalczyk, Natalia Pucek, Łukasz Rochna, Adam Rosa, Piotr Sędkowski, Iga Skolimowska, Julia Szewczyk, Maciej Szkutalski, Monika Szwajnos, Adam Wietrzyński

 

 

SYNOPSIS

A monumental show based on two novels by an Italian writer, journalist, and diplomat who changed his political allies from fascism to communism and wrote about the most tragic events of the 20th century. In the 1920s, Malaparte was a cultural attaché in Warsaw and during World War II a correspondent on the Eastern Front (including Poland, Romania, Finland, and the Balkans).

In his show, Krystian Lupa takes a look at the transformations of contemporary Europe and the roles of great people in political and social processes. The action is set on Capri, an island where dreamers, rulers, and revolutionists fled to, e.g. Tiberius, Lenin, Gorky, George Bernard Shaw and Rilke.

 

***

Krystian Lupa describes his production:

Emperor Tiberius, Jesus Christ...

Jean Luc Godard, Fritz Lang, Brigitte Bardot ‒ Le mépris. Jean Luc Godard had the scenes of his stubborn vision of the Odyssey in „Contempt” shot here ‒ in the last shot of the film, Odysseus is to see his native Ithaca from the terrace of Casa Malaparte. Unexpectedly, the producer dies, and the journey, Odysseus’ journey, Fritz Lang’s journey, Jean Luc Godard’s journey, is cut short. Odysseus stays in the house with the film crew...

They all meet here, amid chaos, in the synthesis of different eras...

 

An island and a house on the island. Safe haven, shelter. We are the fugitives from the monster of Europe: the state, religion, dictatorship, democracy, the monster of Homo Christianis, war...

Malaparte’s house, Villa Tiberius, Casa san Michele...

A war is raging outside. There is no indication whether it is the first, second or third world war caused by the lunacy of contemporary man, the hubris of the creators of socio-political systems, the dreamers of HUMAN PARADISE, PHILOSOPHIZING MURDERERS AND IDEALISTS, the junkies of power...
The reformers of arts and culture, and so on...

 

This house is a prison...

This house is a shelter...

This house is the ARCHETYPAL HOUSE.

THIS HOUSE IS A MYSTERY.

This house is an artist’s cave...

THIS HOUSE IS HOSTING A SÉANCE, A GATHERING
OF GHOSTS...

THIS HOUSE IS HOSTING A SÉANCE OF THE DREAMERS
OF A NEW MAN...

 
***

For adults only.

***

Work in progress shows (act II): 15, 16 June 2019.
premiere: 12 October 2019

 

 

 

 

REVIEWS
  • Excellent shows are not something common in the theater. "Capri – the Island of Fugitives" is not only fascinating and visually beautiful, but above all it is a wise show. The artists see more, because they feel more, the intuitions of the most eminent people were usually correct, although sometimes paradoxically. The moving vision of Krystian Lupa – the author of the screenplay, director and set designer – mixes reality with fantasy, literature with facts, memory with imagination. It is so intense that you do not feel the six hours spent in the chair, the body surrenders to it with no protest and the head remains ready for more. (....). The show poses many questions and gives non-obvious answers. This is its strength (Elżbieta Baniewicz, "Twórczość" monthly)
  • Lupa’s performance i san opus so monumental, so bursting with context and meaning that each person in the audience could doubtless write their own, completely different review, paying attention to quite different elements. Especially given the reflexive, nostalgic content is set in a multifarious, colourful form – the director rejects all self-restraint and employs a range of means of expression, creating a dynamic whole that leaves little time for a breather. This feast, to which we are cordially invited, calls on us to do some work, make an effort, forget mental passivity. (…) This performance is not so much watched as entered. Lupa induces trance, a meditative state – and not just in the actors whose preparation shines through in every scene (brilliant Paweł Tomaszewski, divine Ewa Skibińska!) [Alicja Cembrowska, Teatr dla Wszystkich 22.10.2019]
  • This is the best performance I have seen in years. I am writing this a week after seeing „Capri” and it all somehow lingers, I cannot shake off that scream and that whisper, that unbearable whisper of rage, of impotence, of resignation. That whisper probably most of all. An acting masterpiece, everyone on stage is brilliant, I congratulate the entire ensemble on a wonderful performance. Once in a while, to avoid its inflation, the word “masterpiece” must be used. This is one such time” (Rafał Turowski, Radio ChilliZet, www.rafalturow.ski, October 2019)
  • This is one of Krystian Lupa’s most important performances in years. It is a return to the Lupa familiar from for example „Lunatycy”. (...) It is a performance fascinating in a number of ways (Jacek Wakar, Culture Weekly, TVP Kultura 18.10.2019)
  • Hans Frank’s kingly aspirations come in for Malaparte’s scorn, as he sips quality wine under a warrior king’s portrait at the Wawel royal castle while American ignorance and  conceit during a dinner party at a dinner party at a Neapolitan palazzo (brilliant roles of Wojciech Ziemiański and Halina Rasiakówna!). For balance, there are scenes with the victims of war crimes – he is an empathetic observer of the plight of women at the brothel in Soroca, while taking his coffee with a Hohenzollern princess at a grande cafe, he does not forget the crippled soldiers and civilians. It is the victims that emerge in the longer term as victors (Aneta Kyzioł, „Polityka” 16.10.2019)
  • “Nothing has changed in this country, has it?” – they ask from the stage. Everything has changed. Everything”. Such musings come from perhaps the most impressive, thanks to its technical precision, set ever seen in Polish theatre. Amid the walls, covered before our eyes with frescoes of Italian interiors, bathed in the southern sun or in the northern gloom. Before a wall that turns into a screen for video projections to accept, as if refugees from the real world, characters from the reality of war. There they will shut themselves in with ancient statues, read the Iliad and the Odyssey, enjoy many a moment of delight. Sheltered in this beautiful, aesthetic world in much the same way that the protagonists of Godard’s Contempt or Malaparte’s guests would hide amid the thick walls of his Capri villa. Real refugees? Or just their projections? (Piotr Olkusz, teatralny.pl 18.10.2019)
  • This theatrical symphony is not just directed but literally conducted by Lupa, constantly present with his voice of the Narrator which introduces a very special sense of intimacy. This is an opus both intimate and monumental, even total in terms of the engagement of actors, of the set, of technical means. None of this would be possible without perfect work from the actors. Well, Krystian Lupa has indeed created both a masterpiece and an opus magnum, a synthesis of the motifs, topics, problems, intuitions that have haunted him over the years. There is an excruciating sense of the endurance of Ur-fascism, to use Umberto Eco’s term, crawling out of the European culture’s innards in the sinister spectacle of hate and extermination that cannot be halted, as the director does with the simple “stop” at the end of each scene (Edwin Bendyk, „Polityka”, AntyMatrix blog)
  • The performance is a theatrical masterpiece – a multilayered Camposanto with its walls covered in poignant frescoes devoted to Curzio Malaparte and the catastrophe that befell him and the world around him. After a closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that they were painted over photos of the world today, some Worldpress photo leftovers. This is a fascinating, seductive mosaic, tempting us to penetrate deeply into the labyrinth of meaning it creates. (…). Everything in this performance is brilliant (Tomasz Domagała, www.domagalasiekultury.pl 29.10.2019)
  • Amid the hypnotic images, the subversive acting samples, the scenes thick with sensory overload and horror, the question keeps popping up of who we are and if redemption is still possible. Despite the harsh diagnosis, somewhere at the bottom hope looms – this performance is not just a warning but also a direct expression of the thought that life is still worth living. (…). „Capri” is formally complex, its images painted with the precision of frescoes in ancient churches or palazzi, of sculptures in galleries. It lasts nigh on six hours and it keeps the audience in its continuous grip, leading at the end to a cave, one of the many on Capri. Is humanity to start anew? Is this the last chance salon? (Tomasz Miłkowski, „Dziennik Trybuna” nr 2016, 30.10.2019; www.aict.art.pl)
  • The great visionary of Polish theatre proves with his latest performance that when it comes to building a world on the stage in tune with a powerful visual concept, with an intellectual and philosophical base, he has no peer. (…). Lupa’s latest great performance is a profound reckoning with the director’s propensity to be a dreamer (Łukasz Maciejewski, „WPROST”)
Teatr Powszechny
im. Zygmunta Hübnera
ul. Jana Zamoyskiego 20
03-801 Warszawa
tickets 22 818 25 16
22 818 48 19