„Boeing, Boeing” – the 74th presentation in the „Reading theatre for the blind and partially sighted persons” project
„Boeing, Boeing” by Marc Camoletti was the 74th presentation in the „Reading theatre for the blind and partially sighted persons” project. It was directed on a voluntary basis by Ewa Pilawska on our Small Stage. Thank you for being with us on 17 October, 2024! For this presentation we had to enlarge our house – we had viewers not only from Łódź but also from the Upper Silesia region and from Warsaw.
In 1991 „Boeing, Boeing” was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most performed French play throughout the world. It has still been performed in numerous countries. It’s author, French playwright Marc Camoletti, is a master of building up a comedy plot with unusual precision and intuition. In Poland the play has been performed in a brilliant translation by Bartosz Wierzbięta.
The protagonist of „Boeing, Boeing” has an extensive professional experience but rich emotional life as well. He has three fiancées, each of them is a stewardess and each of them is sure that she is the only woman in his life. Due to timetables, changes of time zones and the help of his invaluable maid he succeeds in hiding the existence of other women. What happened when Maks was visited by his old, inconspicuos friend? Did he help Maks with „soft landing” or did he fund him a true „air crash”?
Marc Camoletti
„Boeing, Boeing”
Translated by Bartosz Wierzbięta
Directed (on a voluntary basis) by Ewa Pilawska
Cast: Aleksandra Bogulewska, Paulina Nadel, Małgorzata Goździk, Jakub Kotyński, Michał Lacheta, Arkadiusz Wójcik
Script: Marta Jarczewska
The 74th presentation was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund under the „Accessible Culture” programme (state earmarked fund).
The „Reading theatre for the blind and partially sighted persons” project is the only one in Poland and a unique one in Europe dedicated to the blind and partially sighted persons. Its complex character consists in staging theatrical plays adapted to cognitive abilities, needs and exptrectations of such audience. In the spectacles we use symbolic stage design and costumes and the emphasis is put on sound details (as well as sense and aromatic impressions). Ewa Pilawska has introduced a person who looks after the script and reads out loud all stage directions, describes the heroes and the setting of the play.
Each staging is a first presentation – a staging of a new text which was not produced by Powszechny Theatre before. Every time visually impaired persons take part in a spectacle produced specially for them. The audience are given programmes in braille. So far we have produced 73 presentations in the project.
Polish Blind Union and the Łódź School for the blind and partially sighted persons are partners of the project. Due to co-operation with Polish Radio Łódź selected presentations are broadcast live and they may be heard by people who because of health problems are not able to come to the theatre.
Ewa Pilawska has already received many distinctions for the project, to mention the award given by lord Colin Low – the president of European Blind Union, Golden Honorary Badge of Polish Blind Union, the distinction „Friend of the blind” and the title of Community Idol. Powszechny Theatre was chosen by the community of the blind and partially sighted persons as the Cultural Institution of the Łódź Region.
Photo by Maciej Zakrzewski