Macabra Dolorosa

Directed by Paweł Szarek and produced by Nowy Teatr in Krakow, the play is comprised of fragments of Medea by Euripides, pieces taken from Magda Goebbels’ letters, elements of the media scandal around Katarzyna W., and other cases of famous mothers who killed their own children. The main theme of the performance is the spiritual, moral and material downfall of the mother, understood not only in its symbolic but also its corporeal sense. The director deliberately uses the form of a surreal show resembling Dada revues from the first half of the twentieth century, which he enriches with elements typical of German cabaret from the same period. In this way the story of violence he tells doesn’t turn into a cheap tabloid article but instead reveals the ideological traps of motherhood, created by a patriarchal system that imprisons women. Monologues and musical numbers are masterfully performed by Katarzyna Chlebny, who transforms before the audience from one stage persona to another while singing songs by Nick Cave, Marilyn Manson and cult band The Tiger Lillies, amongst others. 

Directed by Paweł Szarek

Screenplay and performance by Katarzyna Chlebny

Music by Paweł Harańczyk (piano), Łukasz Marek (drums)

Katarzyna Chlebny