„Elizabeth Costello” directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski at the 30th Festival

We were the first theatre festival to present „Elizabeth Costello” directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski! The presentation took place on Saturday, 13 April 2024, only two days after it officially premiered in Warsaw. Before it is shown by Nowy Theatre at the Avignion Festival, we saw the Master Presentation at the 30th Festival of Plays Pleasant And Unpleasant. Thank you so much!

In his latest production Krzysztof Warlikowski presents Elizabeth Costello – a character made up by John Maxwell Coetzee, a Nobel Prize winner in 2003. As a fictitious person she began to live her own life becoming – as some people claim – the writer’s artistic alter ego: someone who speaks in his name saying things he himself does not want to or is afraid of telling them. Costello has also come to be a recurring character in Krzysztof Warlikowski’s theatre. She has appeared in five of his productions to date – sometimes speaking under her own name, sometimes being quoted by other characters. But the director has never had a whole play devoted to her so far. 

Elizabeth Costello refers to our conscience, speaks up on problems connected with ecology and philosophy, asks about the fate of animals killed by people, raises uncomfortable questions, pursues dormant morality and asks about social relativism. And then she asks about the end and death… She is a fiction which has a strong impact on non-fiction space. She is a voice in our heads. 

Jacek Cieślak and Jacek Wakar moderated the meeting with the creators which took place after the spectacle. During discussion the viewers noticed, among other things, a multi-levelled construction of the spectacle as well as of the main character.  

Though a fictitious person, Elizabeth Costello has strength and power of a demiurge. She is not only a protagonist of the spectacle but she also creates the current history, both as part of it and its creator. As a literary/theatrical piece of work she sneaks out of the world she belongs to. Perhaps this is the reason why she is so intriguing and magnetizing creature which inspires, „relieves” in a way, takes part of responsibility/blame on herself.      

- We recurrently meet with Krzysztof Warlikowski who is a very important person for International Festival of Plays Pleasant And Unpleasant, for its programme. Warlikowski’s plays showed in Łódź have been milestones of the festival and its development – Ewa Pilawska, artistic director of the festival, emphasizes. Viewers of International Festival of Plays Pleasant And Unpleasant could see remarkable spectacles of Krzysztof Warlikowski, among others „Krum”, „The Winter’s Tale”, „The French”, „Angels in America”, „(A)polonia” and „Odyssey. A Story for Hollywood” as well as exhibitions dedicated to his work and take part in an international discussion on the artist „Theatre seeking the identity”.

 

Nowy Theatre in Warsaw
John Maxwell Coetzee
„Elizabeth Costello. Seven Lectures and Five Moral Tales”
Master Presentation
Director: Krzysztof Warlikowski
Playscript:  Krzysztof Warlikowski and Piotr Gruszczyński
Co-operation: Łukasz Chotkowski, Mateusz Górniak and Anna Lewandowska
Stage design and costumes: Małgorzata Szczęśniak
Dramaturgy: Piotr Gruszczyński
Artistic co-operation: Claude Bardouil
Music: Paweł Mykietyn
Lightning design: Felice Ross
Video and animations: Kamil Polak
Cast: Mariusz Bonaszewski, Magdalena Cielecka, Andrzej Chyra, Ewa Dałkowska, Bartosz Gelner, Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik, Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak, Maja Komorowska, Hiroaki Murakami, Maja Ostaszewska, Ewelina Pankowska, Jacek Poniedziałek, Magdalena Popławska

 

Photos Joanna Głodek