Following its successful run in Poland. Fundacja Mesinera in association with Kind Productions is bringing Cantata For Four Wings to the UK.
Two angels must fight for the life of a woman on the verge of a suicide. The woman tries to understand her own mind and that she has choices beyond self-harm To save her own life she needs to view it in a different light. Can this woman find a path to inner peace and reach self -forgiveness?
Written by a Polish writer Robert Brutter Cantata For Four Wings is a tragicomic reflection on self-forgiveness, love, loneliness and friendship. The production of Cantata For Four Wings was the first Meisner based production presented in Poland, it seeks to connect with those who are, or have been challenged by difficult life circumstances. The show was last presented in Poland in April 2016.
INTERVIEW WITH LEADING ACTRESS SYLWIA KACZMAREK
Q: What is at the heart of Cantata For Four Wings?
Sylwia: The piece touches on a lot of important subjects but if I was to pick the most important theme, focus on its core, I would say it’s a play about forgiveness. And that’s both forgiving other people and forgiving yourself. Essentially this is a really universal piece, and the more I work on it, the more important it becomes, of course it just might be my perspective. Mental health, depression, suicidal thoughts, those are issues that our modern society struggles with immensely because of what we are exposed to in day to day life and this is what the piece explores.
Q: Can you tell us about your character? (and their/her journey)
Sylwia: My character called THE GIRL is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever played. The audience meets her when she is on the verge of committing a suicide and there is a lot of honesty about her as a person. Her flaws are what make her three dimensional.
There is a very clear journey that she undergoes during this play and a journey that is very relatable.
Q: Written by Polish dramatist Robert Brutter – can you tell us about the text?
Sylwia: Robert is a very well-known scriptwriter in Poland, but this is his only work that has been written for the stage, as he has mostly worked in TV and film. Prior to him agreeing to us performing his work we had a great conversation about our responsibility to it. It’s a very demanding and heavy text so it requires a lot of honesty and courage from us as actors.
We’ve worked on this project for a couple of years now, did a lot of research, to understand its metaphors, the significance of “The Angels” characters, the relationships. I can honestly say that there hasn’t been a single day when I felt bored despite me working on it for so long. Cantata For Four Wings is an extremely fascinating piece of writing.
Q: How easily does the production translate from Polish to English?
Sylwia: Having participated in translating the script together with Judy Turan and Stanisław Sygitowicz I know it wasn’t an easy task. The biggest challenge was translating the situational humour and the nuance that came from Polish language. After our first rough translation we asked for help from Geraldine Brennan, a former journalist, and now a playwright. The translation part was really a long process but the core of the piece and its context are universal subjects which can really be adapted to any language.
Q: And how ‘easy’ is this? 14 April, 6.30pm (in Polish language) and 9pm (in English language).
Sylwia: There are a lot of challenges coming from that. Our most recent one is that one of our new cast members Aaron, doesn’t actually speak Polish so he had to be taught the pronunciation. And of course when you speak two languages your brain plays tricks on you. It’s all about focus and supporting yourself and your team.
Q: What thoughts on “a fantastic opportunity for the Polish community to come together and experience a professional theatre production in Polish.”?
Sylwia: I think this is a great opportunity for the large Polish communities around London and Luton to experience their own culture and meet new people. The current political climate can be overwhelming at times and this is perhaps why bringing this production at this time is quite vital. But we are also committed to reaching out to multicultural audiences and allowing them to go on this beautiful journey with us.
Q: Why should everyone get along to see Cantata For Four Wings?
Sylwia: I would love for as many people as possible to see this piece as we’ve worked on it for years and we would love to share the piece now. I have a personal connection to the play and whilst I’m happy that we are beginning to talk more about mental health I think there is still a lot of work to do. Sometimes people still fear being judged for being open and because Cantata For Four Wings is a tragi-comedy it can touch people on a lot of levels as it gives the subject a bit of light.
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LISTING INFORMATION
MEISNER FOUNDATION ACT 4 ART & KIND PRODUCTIONS PRESENT
CANTATA FOR FOUR WINGS
By Robert Brutter
Directed by Łukasz Lewandowski
Cast: Sylwia Kaczmarek, Judy Turan, Aaron Vodovoz
Twitter @ProjektKantata
Facebook @ Kantata na cztery skrzydła / Cantata For Four Wings
@BernieGrantCentre
Saturday 14th of April 2018 – 6.30 PM (in Polish) & 9PM (in English)
@Cockpit Theatre in London :
Tuesday 17th April 2018 – 7:30pm (In English). With post show discussion (40 mins)
Wednesday 18th April 2018 -7:00pm (In Polish) and 9:00pm (In English)
@LutonLibrary:
Friday 20th of April 2018- 6.30PM (In Polish) & 8PM (In English)
