Performances – How we f*ucked it all up

How we f*ucked it all up

The performance How we f*ucked it all up is a spoken-word and musical séance in which the creators examine the events and ideas that have shaped the foundations of our civilization for millennia. The central question we pose to ourselves and the audience is: why does humanity keep making the same mistakes over and over again? The painful relevance of this issue is reflected not only in the wars we continue to fight but also in the discredited ideologies and pseudoscientific fantasies that divide people into the superior and the inferior.

Inspired by Tom Phillips’ work Humans: A Brief History of How we f*ucked it all up, the performance brings historical facts and real figures to the stage, such as Francis Galton (the founder of eugenics), Richard Wagner (the composer), Che Guevara, and Bobby Henderson (the creator of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster). Through a distorted mirror, we reflect on concepts such as democracy, religion, racism, war, and revolution. Importantly, we do this through comedy, humor, and grotesque, trusting that laughter can help „disarm” our fears, traumas, and frustrations.

The main characters of the performance are She and He, a woman and a man, suspended beyond time and space. Their relationship—marked by love and the search for partnership—unfolds against the backdrop of historical events and social transformations. Together, we embark on a theatrical journey through the centuries, an odyssey set in a stage world reminiscent of the circus, cabaret, revue, and carnival panopticon.

A crucial element of the performance is the live music, which deepens the meaning and emotional layers of the story. Most of the songs are popular music hits, performed in English, Italian, and Spanish.

Music, and more broadly—art, gives us hope that humanity is not beyond redemption. Alongside art, love, the need for human connection, and the experience of the transcendent assure us that our time on planet Earth has meaning. This is the message we wish to leave with the audience.

Based on Humans: A Brief History of How we f*ucked it all up by Tom Phillips.

The performance by Krakow’s Teatr KTO, directed by Paweł Szumiec and inspired by Tom Phillips’ work How we f*ucked it all up , is more of a musical-theatrical spectacle, blending elements of revue and musical theater. Music plays a central role, led by Aleksander Brzeziński, who, together with the band Towarzysze Broni, becomes an almost equal protagonist of the show. Each episode is concluded with a live performance of a well-known and beloved song, providing an additional layer of meaning to the scenes. While the interpretation is left to the audience, this recurring musical element is one of the performance’s strongest aspects, leaving an impression long after the final note.

Alicja Csafordi, Kulturatka

Szumiec’s production, based on Tom Phillips’ book Humans: A Brief History of How we f*ucked it all up , presents a timeless image of humanity—unchanging, destined to repeat the same mistakes as its ancestors. Łukawski and Chlebny brilliantly embody this concept, creating dynamic, ever-evolving performances that span centuries. At times caricatured, at times deeply reflective, their characters relentlessly follow the same patterns, making the same missteps over and over again. They form a remarkable acting duo, navigating the complexities of gender inequality that humanity has struggled to overcome. Their characters juggle between worlds, convinced that they alone can bear the weight of the universe. However, thanks to costumes by Jolanta Łagowska-Braun and set design by Marek Braun (with stage design assistance from Kinga Łapa and Alicja Majos), they resemble marionettes dressed in black-and-white circus costumes, set against a stage designed as a three-dimensional deck of cards.

Zofia Ścigaj, Dziennik Teatralny

Szumiec has crafted a performance that, despite its lighthearted form, provokes deep reflection. The simple yet expressive costumes and set design emphasize the grotesque nature of the spectacle. How we f*ucked it all up is a collage of scenes that expose the absurdities created by humanity itself. It is a performance that makes you laugh while forcing you to think.

Monika Matura, Kulturatka