New PAN TADEUSZ – But This Time, It’s Rap
2-5.07
“New PAN TADEUSZ – But This Time, It’s Rap” is a concert-musical hybrid – an act of vandalism against Poland’s national epic, reinterpreting the Romantic masterpiece through the lens of modern Polish rowdiness and social pathology.
Surprisingly, Mickiewicz’s thirteen-syllable verse proves to be perfect rap material. This is vividly showcased by Koza, a rapper well-known to younger audiences. Behind the pseudonym is Kamil Białaszek, a theatre directing student at the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw.
The poem’s narrative is transplanted into a world somewhere between “Blokersi” and “Trailer Park Boys”, where rap and slang become natural modes of expression. The production’s director turns the spotlight on his own small homeland – Raszyn, a Warsaw satellite town – to dissect the manic nationalism that remains a dominant ideology among suburban and so-called “provincial” residents. The creators seek organic connections, juxtaposing the Polish post-transformation housing estate reality with the parochial Lithuania depicted by Mickiewicz. Contemporary street talk mingles and spars with the Polish alexandrine, while the stage showcases archetypes teetering between Sarmatian nobility and suburban hooliganism.
Duration: 80 minutes
Intermission: none
Warning: the show uses low-frequency sounds and high-frequency flashing light. People who are sensitive to this type of sound and lighting are asked to exercise particular caution.
The show uses profanity - admission for people aged 16 and over
Subtitles: English
The theatre programme is carried out in cooperation with the Nowy Teatr in Warsaw.
Director: Kamil Białaszek
Script: Kamil Białaszek
Music: Mateusz Augustyn, Natura 2000
Set design: Łukasz Mleczak
Multimedia: Michał Mitoraj
Choreography: Bartosz Dopytalski
Costumes: Jolanta Łobacz
Stage manager: Karol Gromek
Cast
Mariusz Adamski – Notary
Alan Al-Murtatha – Thaddeus
Piotr B. Dąbrowski – Count
Michał Kaleta – Father Robak
Piotr Kaźmierczak – Gerwazy
Denis Kudijenko (guest appearance) – Seneschal
Jakub Papuga – Judge
Aleksandra Samelczak – Zosia