CHRONICLES – A LAMENTATION THEATRE PIESN KOZLA www.piesnkozla.art.pl

ABOUT AN HOUR Playhouse, Sydney Opera House January 20 - 25

Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta January 27 - 28

CAST Rafal Habel, Marcin Rudy, Christopher Sivertsen, Anna Zubrzycka, Anna Krotoska, Maria Sendow and Colin Sadler

Directed by Grzegorz Bral / Translation by Robert Stiller Costume Design by Cristina Gonzales / Set Design by Rafal Habel & Grzegorz Bral

“As near to perfect theatre as I have seen in a very long time, it is food for the soul.” Sunday Herald

“A show that comes straight from the belly and which lands a bulls-eye on the heart.” – The Guardian

Poland’s most innovative and exciting theatre company, Piesn Kozla Theatre, makes their Australian debut with Chronicles – a Lamentation, a hauntingly beautiful ensemble work.

Chronicles centres on an ancient epic inscribed on stone tablets over 5000 years ago. Fragments uncovered from the tablets tell the story of Gilgamesh the King who is part man, part God. He and his wild companion Enkidu set out to do battle with the Great Goddess.

When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh’s tragedy begins as he searches for immortality. Gilgamesh’s repudiation of the inevitability of death, his subsequent discovery of the futility of searching for escape, and the deep understanding which accompanies this acceptance are the axes around which the work develops.

Using their voices and bodies to portray primal human sorrow, the company combines polyphonic songs and narrative to evoke the pain, tenderness and violence of human beings dealing with grief. They sing the lamentation of the king’s death, which in turn becomes a lament for every death we will all face.

The Piesn Kozla Theatre continues a long tradition of Polish ensemble theatre work and has been hailed as one the most inventive of the new breed of avant-garde companies in Poland.

Founded in 1997 by Grzegorz Bral and Anna Zubrzycka, its first four years were spent as the resident company at the Jerzy Grotowski Centre for Theatre Culture Research.

Since 2002 it has had its own space in the refectory of a 14th century monastery.

An international company, it’s performers are drawn from all over the world and includes members from Norway, Sweden, France and the UK as well as from Poland. Its extensive program of workshops and its teaching program attract young artists from all over the world who are eager to learn Piesn Kozla Theatre’s unique approach to vocal and movement techiques.

Chronicles – a Lamentation won multiple awards at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival having earlier received the Grand Prix at Poland’s prestigious Festival of Acting in 2003.

Where: Playhouse, Sydney Opera House (SOH)Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres (RT),

When: SOH: January 20-25 at 9.45pm RT: January 27-28 at 8pm

Duration: 45 mins

Price: $25

Bookings: Sydney Opera House: 02 9250 7777 Festival Ticketek: 02 9266 4890

Riverside Theatres: 02 8839 3399O

www.sydneyfestival.org.au