XVII MFG Ferdydurke

Competition performance of the XVII International Gombrowicz Festival. Och-Teatr in Warsaw

A new, excellent adaptation of the great novel by Witold Gombrowicz in a wonderful cast!

“Ferdydurke” is at the same time a universal treatise on the search for one's own identity, a drama of an eternally maturing man and a moral thriller. But it is also a satire on the process of education, on the ubiquitous petty bourgeoisie and caste society. In our OCH version, it is also virtuosic play in form and a perfect exemplification of the grotesque.

PS. On the authority of Prof. Bladaczka, we have two important questions for PT Viewers:

Who is making your mouth shut?

Who do you plan to kill in retaliation?

The actors create spectacular figures, with the unopposed Młodziakowa Maria Seweryn at the helm. And besides, everyone deserves praise here, because the characters drawn separately and tuned in choirs look fantastic - enough to mention the cantata in honor of the pupa. The performance is united by the accompanying musical narrative of Karim Martusewicz, who was always present on the stage.

Tomasz Miłkowski, Review, 7.04.2025

I am very much in favor of this show because it is deliciously prepared and played. Otherwise, I give Gombrowicz the gift of choosing the greatest secrets of human nature. It's always accurate and fun. At the same time, I do not like his cruel attitude towards the world. Josiah is the author himself.

It is interesting that the director and performer of the main role Krzysztof Szczepaniak seemed to soften this cruel impression a little. This is done by modifying individual scenes, but also by guiding the main character by the actor. He is, above all, lost, searching for himself, immersed in eternal confusion and forced to adapt forever. He is not as toxic and malicious as Jan Peszek in Maciej Wojtyszka's memorable 1986 television version. Present all the time on stage, Szczepaniak is the perfect, funny and evocative guide to absurdized reality. Still full of vigor as a kind of punching bag for the next “stalkers”.

Piotr Zaremba, Poland the Times, 5.03.2025

Before I start wrestling with this show, let me tell you what's good about it. The short answer: almost everything. Ferdydurke's formal side, although he uses fairly safe staging strategies, is at a high level. There are no kicks, no long runs, no shortness of breath or tripping over your legs. Do we want to talk about fitness? Here we go, we have textbook fitness here. Acting? Impeccable. All at high speed.

Mateusz Kalinski, https://fa.teatr-rzeszow.pl/2025/10/23/to-ktory-tym-wielkim-poeta-byl/

Prizes:

63rd Rzeszow Theatre Meetings: