Warsaw's Rozmaitości, the Polski in Poznań, and the Współczesny in Wrocław have collaborated to produce this staging by Krzysztof Warlikowski, who also worked with Jacek Poniedziałek to translate the work.
. A member of the "Cool Britannia" movement, Kane does not shy away from violence, sex, or brutal language in her texts. The creators of this production are not out to attack the sensibilities of viewers, rather, their intent is to show that in spite of all, there is still some light to behold in the hell of human relationships.
What happened to Sarah Kane was something along the lines of what happened with Anne Frank after the war: suddenly, her diaries were found. One might have suspected that in 1946 no one would be interested in what a little girl wrote while hiding out in Amsterdam during World War II. The text was nevertheless published and spoke to many people. In 'Cleansed', viewers have the opportunity to observe something equally personal, equally intimate. They are likely to get the impression that Kane started writing in preschool. If the testimony of Anne Frank was and is so shocking to us - barring literary terms, of course - it was and is because of the directness of that record, a very important directness. I invite viewers to see 'Cleansed', to hear the heroine tell her most hidden and personal things to them. Her confession is very deep, and taps into her childhood. In spite of an abundance of fiction, 'Cleansed' has the strength of a deep and individual confession
- The director in an interview with Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza
Cleansed
Written by Sarah Kane, translated by Krzysztof Warlikowski and Jacek Poniedziałek, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski, scene design by Małgorzata Szczęśniak, music by Paweł Mykietyn, lighting by Felice Ross. Premiere: December 15, 2001 at the Współczesny Theatre in Wrocław; January 9, 2002 at the Polski Theatre in Poznań; January 18, 2002 at the Rozmaitości Theatre in Warsaw.
