A gripping story of growing up amidst family pain
Somewhere in the Dutch countryside, on a farm, lives a 13-year-old girl named Jas. Just before Christmas, it is revealed that her deeply religious father plans to kill her beloved rabbit for the holiday. Jas, half-jokingly, half-seriously, prays to God to take her brother Matthies instead. A few hours later, the boy is dead, drowning in a lake when the ice breaks beneath him.
Lucas Rijneveld’s debut book opens with this powerful image. The novel won the 2020 Booker International Prize, making Rijneveld both the youngest recipient and the first Dutch author to earn this honor. The novel delves into several profound themes: the pain of losing a loved one and the journey through grief; the forced coming-of-age of children shaped by family trauma; the pervasive influence of religion in human life; and above all, its role in cultivating an internalized sense of guilt that shapes one’s entire existence.
The performance, based on Rijneveld’s book, was directed by Małgorzata Wdowik, one of the most interesting contemporary Polish directors, recognized both in Poland and abroad. Among her works, she gained wide recognition for her triptych devoted to specific emotions, produced at Warsaw theaters: “Anger” (Teatr Powszechny), “Fear” (TR Warszawa), and “Shame” (Nowy Teatr in Warsaw). For the last installment, Wdowik together with the writer Weronika Murek received a prestigious award at the 14th International Theatre Festival Divine Comedy in Krakow.
Among other excellent productions from recent seasons, “The Discomfort…” stands out for its excellent adaptation, featuring radical, smart cuts; its concept, based on the actors’ unconventional work with their bodies; and its visuals, rich with meaning. The adaptation was created by Robert Bolesto, a playwright and screenwriter who wrote such hits as “Hardkor Disko” (dir. by Krzysztof Skonieczny), “Córki dancingu” (“The Lure”, dir. by Agnieszka Smoczyńska), and “Ostatnia rodzina” (“The Last Family”, dir. by Jan P. Matuszyński). For the latter Bolesto received The Eagle—Polish Film Award. The visual world was crafted by one of Europe’s most sought-after lighting designers, Aleksandr Prowaliński, alongside costume designer Maja Skrzypek, and enriched by the stunning sculptures of Jan Baszak.
“Małgorzata Wdowik and her team have created an exceptional, sensual production, rich with unconventional and deeply memorable theatre. While the text itself remains important, the true strength of this performance lies in imbuing the words with deliberate and subliminal actions that form surreal images, lingering long in the viewer’s subconscious. It’s hard to imagine a better way to bring to life the figures from Rijneveld’s snow globe, revealing how we—ordinary, living people—transform through tragedy into wax figures, cheap souvenir dolls that God or fate can cover repeatedly with artificial snowflakes of misfortune. Not to mention the price paid by the children left to fend for themselves. «The Discomfort of Evening» is not a «pleasant» or «fun» show, but absolutely everyone should see it—for their own good.” (Tomasz Domagała, domagalasiekultury.pl)
About the Theatre:
The Wrocław Mime Theatre was founded in 1956 as the Mime Studio within the State Dramatic Theatres in Wrocław. Its founder and first artistic director was Henryk Tomaszewski. The theatre’s uniqueness lies in Tomaszewski’s distinctive vision and original repertoire. It is the only theatre in the world where movement transcends mere verbal expression, becoming a synthesis of experience and sensation. The company’s numerous performances around the globe have earned it prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal from the Swedish Dance Association in Stockholm (1963) and the Gold Star (Étoile pour recherche corporelle) at the 8th International Dance Festival in Paris (1970). Following Tomaszewski’s passing, the theatre has been redefining its artistic identity and exploring new conventions of group pantomime. Since 2022, Agnieszka Charkot is the theatre’s director.
About the Director:
Małgorzata Wdowik is a theatre director and chairperson of the Guild of Polish Theatre Directors. She studied theatre directing at the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw and holds a degree in Theatre Studies from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Together with the K.A.U collective, she created the project „Transit Monumental” as part of the SpielArt festival. Their collaborative work „Fiasko” was awarded the German Doppelpass grant, culminating in a performance at the Staatstheater Darmstadt in March 2018.
At TR Warszawa, she directed „Piłkarze” (“The Footballers”), which won the main prize at the Young Directors Festival in Kraków, as well as „Strach” (“Fear”). Her other works include „Dziewczynki” (“The Girls”) at Teatr Studio, „Gniew” (“Anger”) at Teatr Powszechny in Warsaw—the second part of a trilogy exploring the representation of emotions in theatre—and „Wstyd” (“Shame”), the third part, which premiered at Nowy Teatr in Warsaw. She completed studies at DAS Theater in Amsterdam with the project „She Was A Friend of Someone Else,” which premiered at Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels.
