"Hunger", photo: Maciek Rukasz
As part of the Belarussian TheArt festival, the Minsk Palace of Culture stage hosted a Polish-Norwergian coproduction of dance theatre on the controversial figure of Nobel laureate, Knut Hamsun
The play is based on Knut Hamsun's texts from his novels, "Hunger" and "On Ovregrown Paths", as well as fragments of "Mammuth" written by Tankred Dorst. In the performance, the writer's lyrics mingle with the scenery and daily routine of a psychiatric clinic in Vindern, where Hamsun spent time between 1945 and 1946. The play's axis is built around Knut Hamsun's defense against charges of betrayal of his motherland and collaboration with the Nazi invader. The narrative unravels against the background of medical procedures and experiments, carried out in order to prove the writer's mental illness and thus account for his fascination with Nazi Germany. Under the influence of this "therapy", the old man Hamsun begins to see figures he created in "Hunger". He is transformed into a protagonist: he walks the streets of Christiania as an old man once again. This time he is begging for the publication not of his fantasies, but of an article which explains his stance during Germany's attack on Norway.
"Głód Knuta Hamsuna" is not a typical endevour, standing out even within the theatre environment of Lublin - a city which has acquainted us with the extravagant and new.
Grzegorz Kondrasiuk, Gazeta Wyborcza daily, 7th of June, 2010
"Głód Knuta Hamsuna" / "The Hunger of Knut Hamsun"
Teatr Centralny (Central Theatre)
The play is a coproduction of Polish Scena Prapremier InVitro, Lubelski Teatr Tańca and Drammen
Theater from Norway.
direction: Ryszard Kalinowski, Łukasz Witt-Michałowski;
set design: Nia Damerell;
music: Isak Anderssen;
costumes: El Bruzda;
light design: Jan Piotr Szamryk;
producer: Grzegorz Reske;
graphic design: Piotr Kulawczuk;
light: Grzegorz Polak;
cast: Jacek Brzeziński, Barbara Czajkowska, Ryszard Kalinowski, Wojciech Kaproń, Beata Mysiak, Anna Żak
The performance premiered on the 5th of June, 2010
Scena Prapremier InVitro
The group was started up in 2007, and since then it represents an alternative proposal for those in search of innovative contemporary theatre. In the world of medicine, in vitro is understood as working with live cells isolated from the mother organism. The concept has inspired Łukasz Witt-Michałowski to create a professional stage which functions outside of the organisms of institutional theatres. The idea is realised through collaboration with interesting directors, playwrights and actors of the young generation. The artists work together in Lublin.
Scena Prapremier InVitro was awarded with numerous prizes:
- main prize of the 2nd Wiosenny Festiwal Teatralny (Spring Theatre Festival) in Bielsko-Biała,
- grand Prix, of the 43rd Przegląd Teatrów Małych Form KONTRAPUNKT (Review of Small Form
Theatres) in Szczecin
- first special prize of 10th Ogólnopolski Festiwal Teatrów Niezależnych (Polish Festival of Independent
Theatres) in Ostrów Wielkopolski
- 2 prizes of the 15th Ogólnopolski Konkurs na Wystawienie Polskiej Sztuki Współczesnej (Modern Polish
Drama Contest) in Warsaw
- a prize of the 8th Festiwal Prapremier (World-premieres Festival) in Bydgoszcz
- 2 prizes and a special mention of the XII Ogólnopolski Festiwal Sztuki Reżyserskiej (Polish Festival of
the Art of Direction) "Interpretacje" in Katowice
Lubelski Teatr Tańca (Lublin Dance Theatre)
The theatre was founded in 2001, by Hanna Strzemiecka, Anna Żak, Ryszard Kalinowski (who is currently the theatre's artistic director) and Wojciech Kaproń. The theatre has developed its own style of dancing, recognised by audiences in Poland and abroad. The productions' artistic form emerges from a close cooperation between all of LTT's members. The work takes as its base the physicality of a dancer's body, and a mode of expression that conveys his/her individual traits. Lubelski Teatr Tańca is one of the most acclaimed contemporary dance groups in Poland. Apart from its theatre productions, the group instigates various artistic and educational activities which promote dance. LTT also organises the Międzynarodowe Spotkania Teatrów Tańca festival (International Meetings of Dance Theatres).
Selected prized awarded to Lubelski Teatr Tańca:
- special mention at the Międzynarodowy Festiwal Współczesnej Choreografii (Modern Choreography International Festival) in Belarus,
- special mention and awards at Łódzkie Spotkania Teatralne (Łódź Theatre Meetings) in Łódź,
- an award at the 10th Międzynarodowe Prezentacje Współczesnych Form Tanecznych (International Presentations of Contemporary Dance Forms) in Kalisz,
- main prize of the Festiwal Teatru Tańca "Opozycja" (Dance Theatre Festival "Oppositions") in Sopot,
- an award of the 7th "Best German Dance Solo" Festival in Leipzig
Date: 28th of October, 2011
Venue: Palace of Culture, Minsk
Organised by: Towarzystwo Edukacji Kulturalnej (Association for Cultural Education), Konfrontacje Teatralne, City of Lublin, TheArt Festival, Art Factory
Project cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute