According to the International Festival Divadlo, Nowy Teatr from Warsaw brought Krzysztof Warlikowski’s production Elizabeth Costello to Plzeň in September 2026, marking the company’s second appearance at the Czech festival following their 2015 staging of (A)pollonie. The production, which premiered in April 2024, uses elaborate live cinema projections, minimalistic furniture, and an expansive stage at Depo2015 to examine aging, artistic integrity, and mortality through the fictional Australian writer created by Nobel laureate John Maxwell Coetzee.
Literary Origins and Warlikowski’s Staging Principles
According to festival reports, Warlikowski and dramaturg Piotr Gruszczyński built the production around Coetzee’s writings, primarily drawing from the 2003 novel Elizabeth Costello. In the staging, the title character is portrayed by six different actors—including Andrzej Chyra, Mariusz Bonaszewski, and Maja Komorowska—who share the role alongside other parts. The narrative weaves together fragments from Coetzee’s Slow Man, short stories from The Pole and Other Stories, Franz Kafka’s A Report to an Academy, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust. According to festival documentation, the performance explores philosophical and environmental questions while confronting themes of old age, social segregation, and the approach of death against a backdrop of melting glaciers and ruined megacities.
Did you know? Director Krzysztof Warlikowski was 62 years old in the premiere year of Elizabeth Costello, matching the age of author J.M. Coetzee when he wrote the original novel in 2003.
Ensemble Cast and Performance Style
According to Nowy Teatr’s touring details, the production features a stable ensemble of actors known for physical theater and internal tension, including Magdalena Cielecka, Maja Ostaszewska, Jacek Poniedziałek, Bartosz Gelner, Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik, Magdalena Popławska, Ewelina Pankowska, Piotr Polak, and Hiroaki Murakami. A notable addition to the Plzeň performance was Maja Komorowska, whose career began in the 1960s with director Jerzy Grotowski.
Pro Tip for Festival Attendees
Warlikowski’s productions rely on a slow, analytically meditative rhythm and extensive running times. Audience members approaching his work benefit from preparing for nonlinear narrative structures that blend historical figures with fictional creations.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Elizabeth Costello premiere?
According to festival records, the production had its premiere on April 11, 2024, before traveling to the Mezinárodní festival Divadlo in Plzeň in September 2026.
Which literary works are included in the adaptation?
According to production notes, the staging incorporates text from J.M. Coetzee’s novels Elizabeth Costello and Slow Man, short fiction from The Pole and Other Stories, Kafka’s A Report to an Academy, and Goethe’s Faust.
How many actors play the title role?
According to the cast list, six different actors share the role of Elizabeth Costello during the performance.
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