Written by Wolfgang Hildesheimer and directed by Remigiusz Brzyk, it was performed by the Polski Theatre in Wrocław and premiered on April 12, 2003.
Remigiusz Brzyk is directing Wolfgang Hildesheimer's Mary Stuart at the Polski Theatre in Wroclaw.
The director won the "Conrad's Laurels" at the "INTERPRETATIONS" FESTIVAL OF THE ART OF DIRECTING in Katowice in 2001 for his production of Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE at the Teatr im. S. Jaracza (Stefan Jaracz Theatre) in Lodz. With this production of Wolfgang Hildesheimer's MARY STUART, he once again explores the concept of power and related issues. The production was designed by Mikolaj Malesza, who previously worked with Brzyk on a production of Tadeusz Slobodzianek's CAR MIKOLAJ / TSAR NICHOLAS at the Stary Theatre in Kraków.
Wolfgang Hildesheimer was one of the exponents of the German Theatre of the Absurd, a leading German anti-fascist and a translator during the Nuremberg Trials. With MARY STUART he succeeded in writing a historical drama that deals with an individual caught up in politics. The author speaks of his play as a biography that has been subjected to a literary process:
"My concept of this character is based (...) on the supposition that Mary Stuart was not herself loyal to others, nor did she encourage loyalty in others: this is the only interpretative freedom in my play."
The author has depicted a merciless struggle for power and extreme human passions in a drama that plays out in the final hours before Mary Stuart's execution. The queen finds herself facing death alone, attempting to maintain her dignity to the very end. Her execution will soon become a great social and theatrical spectacle. Halina Skoczynska plays the title role in Brzyk's staging. The actress won the Aleksander Zelwerowicz Prize in 2001 and garnered the GRAND PRIX for her portrayal of Lyuba Ranevsky in a production of Anton Chekhov's WIŚNIOWY SAD / THE CHERRY ORCHARD directed by Paweł Miśkiewicz at the 41st KALISZ THEATRE MEETINGS - Festival of the Art of Acting.
Wolfgang Hildesheimer, MARY STUART, directed by Remigiusz Brzyk, translated by Dorota Sajewska, production designed by Mikołaj Malesza, costumes by Elżbieta Wojtowicz-Gularowska, music and musical arrangement by Jacek Grudzień. Premiere: April 12, 2003 at the Polski Theatre in Wrocław, Scena na Świebodzkim (Świebodzki Stage).