The Death of John Paul II

Teatr Polski w Poznaniu (Poznań, Poland)

Sunday, 4.06.2023 | at 8.30pm

Teatr Horzycy (main auditorium), Pl.Teatralny 1

tickets prices:

normal 60 zł

reduced 50 zł

earphones: English

At 9:37 p.m. on 2 April 2005, the papal personal doctor Renato Buzzonetti pronounced John Paul II dead. In an instant, all social and cultural life came to a halt. Thousands of people took to the streets, cars and public transport stopped, fans interrupted the league games. The most important words of those days were: “Santo Subito!” (Saint now!”).

Looking at the last moments of Karol Wojtyła’s life, the makers of this performance ask questions like: “Are we all equal in the face of death and illness? Where is the limit in showing illness and suffering?” and: “What does it (death) become when all that is private becomes public?” The performance is based on medical records and memories of the Pope’s closest associates. The production owes its inspiration, i.e., to Albert Serra’s film The Death of Louis XIV.

Kontakt 2021 festival audiences saw Jakub Skrzywanek’s production of Kaspar Hauser for the Współczesny Theatre in
Szczecin.

This performance contains scenes that show illness and the process of dying in a naturalistic way; they might provoke contradicting emotions.

directed by: Jakub Skrzywanek

playstript: Jakub Skrzywanek, Paweł Dobrowolski

dramaturg: Paweł Dobrowolski

music: Karol Nepelski

set and lighting design: Agata Skwarczyńska

costume design: Paula Grocholska

choreography: Agnieszka Kryst

video: Rafał Paradowski, Liubov Gorobiuk

performers:

Mariusz Adamski

Alan Al-Murtatha

Piotr B. Dąbrowski

Michał Kaleta

Piotr Kaźmierczak

Barbara Krasińska

Jakub Papuga

Monika Roszko

Andrzej Szubski

Kornelia Trawkowska

Bogdan Żyłkowski

photo: Magda Hueckel

running time: 2h (no interval)