• Directed by 

  Kornél Mundruczó

• Dramaturgy

  Kata Wéber / Kornél Mundruczó

• Streaming Director

  Nicolas Villegas

• Premiered

  September 20, 2012

• Duration

  2 h 15 min (no intermission)

• TR Online retransmission

  29,90 PLN

About

In the dead of winter several people who have never met before are gathering in an unsettling, cold, hospital-like building in a remote location to celebrate the upcoming New Year’s Eve. The preparations for the last night of the year are accompanied by the sweet strains of the operetta “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”) by Johann Strauss, Jr. Many of the guests had to make quite a few sacrifices to get there. They were ready to give up a lot, even risk their reputation. Some of them are young, some are old, some are married, some – single. The only thing they have in common is curiosity – they are most keen to find out whether a human being can handle divine freedom.

Kornel Mundruczó and TR Warszawa ensemble have created a classical buffo opera. With a performance based on the text written at the time when Nietzsche announced that God is dead, the Hungarian director discusses the issue of “godless death” and asks the same old question: if and to what extent we are allowed to decide on or own existence? 

For organized post-gymnasium school groups we offer introductory workshops to the performance (please contact the education department edukacja@trwarszawa.pl) for more details).

Cast

Marta

Małgorzata

Buczkowska

Jaśmina

Roma

Gąsiorowska

Magda

Justyna

Wasilewska

Piotr

Rafał

Maćkowiak

Łukasz

Dawid

Ogrodnik

Gustaw

Sebastian

Pawlak

Ryszard

Adam

Woronowicz

Dyrygent

Jarosław

Praszczałek

Marta (double, Feb. 2021)

Monika

Frajczyk

Twórcy i twórczynie

• In the performance fragments of “The Bat” translated by Julian Tuwim are used.
  

• Prawa autorskie tłumaczki Jolanty Jarmołowicz do sztuki “Nietoperz” reprezentuje Agencja Dramatu i Teatru ADiT.
  
  

Gallery

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Photo by Kuba Dąbrowski

Reviews

• “ To say that Mundruczó’s performance is perfect is to say nothing at all. “The Bat ” is like a never-ending dance on the edge of a knife, pirouette at the verge of a chasm, race along the border between dignity and disgrace. Actors surprise us with their versatility when they swiftly morph from realistic acting to grotesque, operetta-like conventions. They change moods as if they are zapping through channels, making the audience totally confused. Jocular seriousness or serious joke – they own it ”

  Roman Pawłowski, Gazeta Wyborcza

• “Mundruczó achieves an amazing feat. By stirring up a music/theatre storm, he forces death to take a look at itself in the mirror of a silly operetta. (…) You can gobble up “The Bat” like a perverse game, an entertainment carrying a horrifying stigma. But not for long. Soon, you’ll start thinking: Can it be that Kornél Mundruczó tore down the door, that had been nailed shut by the Polish theatre so far? Door that lead to important topics begging to be discussed with a bit of humor and in an attractive form, yet seriously?”

  Jacek Wakar, Wprost

Awards

• The Guarantees of Culture Awards 2013 in “Theatre” category

  Kornél Mundruczó and TR Warszawa actors ensemble for a collaborative creation in “The Bat”.

• Grand Prix

  At 53rd Kalisz Theatre Encounters for the actor’s ensemble

• Grand Prix

  At the 6th Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival for best production

Tours

Partners