On Monday, 8 June, director Weronika Szczawińska and lead actress Marta Nieradkiewicz spoke with Magdalena Kasperowicz and Mirosław Oczkoś about feminism, Erica Jong’s novel, embodiment, and the upcoming premiere of Fear of Flying.
“For the theatre, I look for female protagonists who remind us that we have foremothers who can be our allies. We can draw from them boldness, audacity, and a sense of humour when it comes to womanhood, the body, and sexuality. Isadora has enormous potential in this respect. While creating the performance, we tried to avoid being overly declarative and instead simply follow the protagonist through the whirlwind of events. Piotr Wawer Jr.’s adaptation supports this approach—it is driven by humour and adventure. I think Isadora encourages an attitude that says: do it yourself, find yourself in your own freedom; you don’t have to copy me,” says Weronika Szczawińska.
Fifty years after its publication, Jong’s iconic novel raises different questions for today’s creators. In this adaptation, Fear of Flying becomes a lens through which to examine contemporary feminism—how women’s freedom has evolved, how courage to follow one’s own path has changed, and how openness toward one’s sexuality and physicality is understood today.
Cast: Beata Bandurska, Rafał Maćkowiak, Aleksandra Matlingiewicz, Marta Nieradkiewicz, Filip Zaręba
Creative Team: Weronika Szczawińska, Piotr Wawer Jr., Alicja Czyczel, Marta Szypulska, Natalia Dziarczykowska, Monika Stolarska, Julia Gadzina
The premiere of Weronika Szczawińska’s adaptation of Fear of Flying comes to TR Warszawa on 13 June!
photo by Adrian Lach
