How to grow old without dignity

Teatr Komedia and co-creators of “Fire in a Brothel” and “Island of Jadłonomia” invite you to a comedy not devoid of horror elements telling about early old age — or — in other words — late youth. That is, about a time in the life of a man, with special attention to the perspective of a woman, when the challenge becomes to get out of bed in the morning with dignity, not to mention going to bed with dignity. This is a spectacle not only for people 45+, because the “premature” age, sooner rather than later, awaits us all.

The creators, inspired by popular podcasts and the book “How to grow old without dignity” by Magdalena Grzebałkowska and Ewa Winnicka, propose a not entirely politically correct and not quite serious guide to facing adulthood, maturity and even timidly looming old age on the horizon. The show will take the form of a documentary portraying a day in the lives of four women and one man. We will see trivial — though heroic — mornings, but also dramatic episodes: delivering children to school, exams, watching the maturation of “our children”, professional vicissitudes of people of late productive age. There will also be borderline experiences such as a visit to a mechanic, a specialist doctor or a sports club. The day will be comforted by conversations with friends about health, that is, diseases, and reading the advisory press, consisting almost exclusively of insulting photos of young and fit people of different sexes.

In our how-to document, we will not avoid uncomfortable topics — such as mature sex or repairing a leaky faucet (these are two different topics!) — and despite our rather bold comedic ambitions, we want to speak with an honest voice about what is or will be the participation of the statistical majority of us. Anarchically frivolous voices should not obscure the personal and acute perspective, and the “anti-counselor” about the phenomenon of aging without dignity - probably more often than he would like - will also touch serious spaces.

The creators do not want to keep silent about the whole complication of the reality of people 45+. Avoiding the tone of the stakes and not sleeping with easy recipes, they will not avoid the occasional serious tone, talking about the area — whatever it is — of the trauma. The pain associated with aging, however, is curable in the creators' notion. As long as we make a therapeutic effort, we will maintain distance and a sense of humor.
And dignity. I mean... the opposite!

Stage: Big Stage

Production of scenography: Piotr Szczygielski, Rafał Popis
Cinematographer: Dawid Stube
Wardrobe and Souffle: Katarzyna Adamczyk