There is nothing new in maintaining that Shakespeare’s dramas remain an inexhaustible source of inspiration for theatre artists and never stop provoking new interpretations. The true art lies in finding such tools for staging them that make the fates of Shakespeare’s characters as poignant for contemporary audiences as if they were experienced by their near and dear. Something Pamela Leończyk has succeeded in. Working with dramaturg Daria Sobik, she has created a performance based on a play which – albeit not as frequently staged as Hamlet or Macbeth – allows a deeply nuanced tale about the complexities our time and the fragile fabric of interpersonal relationships.

At the heart of Opowieść zimowa / The Winter’s Tale lies a family in crisis. It was sparked by King Leontes’ jealousy towards his wife Hermione – played here by the outstanding Grzegorz Artman and Karolina Adamczyk of the Powszechny Theatre. This jealousy that ecomes a destructive force, eroding the foundations of the couple’s relationship. In their interpretation, Leończyk and Sobik decided to make a link to today’s “therapy culture”, whose tools have become popular and widespread in recent years. Shakespeare’s characters are placed in situations that make them confront their past, understand their actions, and undertake the emotional work needed to rebuild the relationships that they see falling apart.

The production won both the Golden Yorick and the “Prospero’s Book” Award of the Polish Shakespeare Society at the 29th Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival in 2025. Appreciating the weaving of a contemporary theme into Shakespeare’s play, acting, the video materials, and music, the jury described Leończyk’s production as “an outstanding theatrical event”.

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The performance features strobe lights.

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Photo by HaWa