Gardzienice: Polish Theatre in Transition

In 1977 an experimental company called the Gardzienice Theatre Association was founded in a tiny Polish village. By 1992 The Observer was hailing "Brilliant Gardzienice ... An orgy of joy, anguish, prayer and lamentation performed in candlelight with hurtling energy and at breakneck speed ... Physically reckless, thrillingly well-sung ... On no account to be missed." Today it is recognized as Poland's leading theatre group, it trains Royal Shakespeare Company actors and tours the world.
Paul Allain describes and analyses Gardzienice's performances, physical and vocal training and anthropological fieldwork among rural minorities at the margins of Europe. His book is the first detailed attempt to assess critically the development of Polish theatre since 1989. It questions whether those artists born into a resistance culture under Communism can maintain their vision in the face both of Poland's economic difficulties and of increased commercialization of the arts.