XVII MFG Ferdydurke

Competition performance of the XVII International Gombrowicz Festival. The J. Osterwa Theatre in Gorzów Wielkopolski Niesztampowa, an original and full of surprising ideas, a contemporary stage adaptation of the cult novel by Witold Gombrowicz.

The dreamlike journey of the protagonist - Józia Kowalski - through masks, mouths, buttocks and calves, as a metaphor for the persistent striving of the individual to free himself from the imposed form. A utopian longing to “be yourself” amid unified principles, truths, norms, and poses.

A marriage of extraordinary acting, choreography and music on the model of the best European contemporary scenes. Gombrowicz's timeless vision of the world captured in the dynamic and uncompromising staging of the Gorzów theatre.

“Ferdydurke” is a reliable staging devoid of intrusive subjectivity. This somehow excludes one of the first words on the pages of the novel: Ah, create a form of your own! Let my form be born of me, let it not be made of me! How to compete with the champion? (sic!) There is no moralizing in Lewandowski's proposal and overriding this form or broad gesture, which is what the content provokes.

“Ferdydurke” involves almost all the actors of the Gorzov Theater. They managed to create an extremely cohesive, listening to each other, a team. This is important for a show with such staging momentum, in which collective scenes are particularly impressive. The intimate ones, on the other hand, intrigued by the intensity and essentiality of emotions.

Daniel Żródlewski, tekstyzrodlowe.pl

There are 17 actors in the play. Each of them has precisely designated roles and each of these roles is brilliantly played. Beata Chorążykiewicz as Professor Bladaczka and funny, and frightening. Dominik Jakubczak as a budding writer Józio, thrown into the middle school past, is like a stranger on the planet. On the one hand, Jan Mierzyński creates the truest Professor Pimko, and on the other Bartosz Bandura — outraged by the professor's words — Miętus, who does not agree to the innocence of the students. On his opposite side stands Siphon — Oliver Witek — with whom he duels for mines. Great in the silent role of Młodziak is Artur Nełkowski, who, alongside the duplicated professors Pimko — mentioned Jan Mierzyński and Przemysław Kapsa — enters the audience and explains the intricacies of Gombrowicz's literature. The cacophony of professor words (each at one time pronounces his points) is the beginning of the aforementioned carousel of events carried over to the last years of the 20th century. To this must be added the roles of women, from Marta Karmowska as the Servant, through the Młodziakowa Marzena Wieczorek, to the courageous role of Zuta Młodziakówna, or Magdalena Kasperowicz.

Hanna Kaup, www.egorzowska.pl

Premiere 29.03.2025