Who in the Flames — a concert on Polish Radio Programme 2

WHO IN FLAMES concert

Leonard Cohen was not a good father, he thought, and at the end of his life he regretted giving more of him to his family. Still, Adam Cohen, son, wrote a foreword to the collection of the singer's last poems and patiently explained to readers: “Writing defined him (...). It was a fire that he sustained — a life-giving flame.” The Prodigal Father was forgiven. They absolved Cohen and his faithful apostles—of slightly different offenses. For young boys and girls who saw in his songs an isthmus into the world of mysticism in the 1980s, the bard's turn towards pop culture was a painful disappointment. And yet, guided by a strange sentiment, they stubbornly return to his musicalized poetry even today.

There is a mystery to the Cohen phenomenon. Balancing on the border of life and death, he pushes the desperate towards life. Studying human wickedness — restores faith in noble deeds. Showing hatred — tells of the need for love. It is rarely about love in the family. Maybe that's why — out of spite? Creative revenge for past betrayal? — Krzysztof Prus chose songs from different periods of the singer's work in order to build a family history out of them. He wrote texts about freedom, eroticism and metaphysics in the voices of father, mother, daughter and son, and arranged them into sequences of dialogues that do not happen in everyday life (or maybe they should). What is the thought behind it? Well. If we followed any of Cohen's obvious themes, we would gain only another of the more or less successful illustrations of his words. And so? Songs gain additional space, and listeners — the opportunity to look at something that seemed familiar, as something that is not entirely familiar.

music and lyrics: Leonard Cohen lyrics translation: Maciej Karpiński i Maciej Zembaty

concept and selection of songs: Krzysztof Prus musical direction and arrangements: Radosław Michalik costumes, screenings: Marek Mikulski and Maciej Mikulski

There are:

Father: Dariusz Niebudek Mother: Marta Tadla Son: Hubert Waljewski Daughter: Sofiia Popova

and the musical ensemble of the Theater of Entertainment consisting of:

Kamil Kułach — soprano and alto saxophone, clarinet, flute Radosław Michalik — keyboards Michał Karbowski — guitar Anna Pawłowska — bass guitar Bartłomiej Chlubek — percussion

The event is organized by the Second Polish Radio Program in cooperation with the Entertainment Theatre in Chorzów.

Tickets are available for online sale on the Polish Radio website and on the Bilety24.pl website: Bilety24 — purchase: “Who in the flames”. Music by Leonard Cohen, Warsaw, 05.11.2026 18:00.