“Nameless/Unknown”
“Nameless/Unknown” is inspired by the series of books “The Wars of Adults; The Stories of Chiildren”, graphic novel “Arrival” by Shaun Tan, “Wander of Nabu” by Jarosław Mikołajewski, reportage “Dzieci z dworca Brześć” [“Children from Brest station”] by Marina Hulia and Monika Głuska-Durenkamp and real emigrants memories. The project’s style crosses between puppet theater, visual, physical theater and aerial dance in order to convey challenging aspects of the modern migration. The story circulates around migration’s causes, circumstances and characters – nameless heroes who were forced to abandon their homes. Authors are asking the questions: what can cause a person to let go of one’s current life and set out for another country? Why do they strive for the places, where there is no family and friends, where everything is nameless, unknown and the future is questionable?
The stories, implemented into the dramaturgy of the play, unravel a search for a safe haven in the cruel world. In this world it’s frequently imperative to sacrifice all the possessions and the past, to win a chance at a future for oneself and one’s family. These stories touch the topic of solitude, foreignness and confusion of a person convicted to a new, forced reality – which at the same time is a refuge from doom.
The performance takes the form of a journey that the spectator embarks on along with the characters. Consecutive stories of the migrants are born into the world, unlocked from suitcases, told without words, to the accompaniment of the sounds and music, created live using instruments and everyday objects. This visual and physical theater operates with a richness of sounds and images, influencing the imagination of the spectator and encouraging an autonomous interpretation of the performance, where everything is fluent, literally and figuratively – in constant movement. The spectator, boarding the ship – which is the core of the scenography – accompanies the characters in the venture to the place of their possible new home. This long and dangerous road is the only way to remedy the problems that afflicted them in their homeland. Nobody can be sure of the journey’s end.
Is it possible for them to feel the smell of the land? Receive help? Confront with the outland culture and language? Holding the travel ticket, spectators will decide about the course of the story and the chapters it will unfold.
The performance was realized as a part of “Młoda Polska 2020” Scholarship, financed from the funds of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Tickets >>> here
The Awards:
Children’s Jury Award and The Best Off Performance during 11. Międzynarodowy Festiwal Ożywionej Formy Maskarada 2021 w Rzeszowie [11. International Festival of Animated Form Maskarada 2021 in Rzeszów]
Grand Prix on V Festiwal Małych Prapremier w Wałbrzychu [V Festival of Little Previews in Wałbrzych]
Audience Award on 29. Alternatywnych Spotkaniach Teatralnych “Klamra” w Toruniu 2021. [29. Alternative Theatrical Meetings “Bracket” in Toruń 2021]
Creators:
Idea and realisation: Łukasz Batko
Artistic director: Magdalena Miklasz
Music: Łukasz Batko
Scenography: Anna Adamiak, Radosław Pacholczyk, Aleksandra Batko, Masza Lesiak-Batko, Żaneta Małkowska, Łukasz Batko
Puppets: Justyna Bernadetta Banasiak
Costumes: Renata Batko
Visualisations: Piotr Osak
Playbill: Monika Kryszczyńska, Piotr Osak
Illustrations: Marta Kazimierczak
Lights: Mariusz Rapała
Premiere: 4th June 2021
Cast:
Aleksandra Batko
Masza Lesiak-Batko
Żaneta Małkowska
Łukasz Batko
Duration: 60 min
The performances is intended for viewers 13+
“Nameless/Unknown” is a presented within the framework of the KTO Theatre’s project called Four Shades of Theatre and co-financed from the funds of the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, Programme ”Culture”, Outcome 2: ”Access to Culture and Art Improved”.
