The review – THE GULF / ZÁLIV
The production THE GULF directed by Marek Idzikowski is an ideal description of this year’s theme of the festival, JUMP! Jumping into the unknown with a sense of insecurity also counts, perhaps even more than if we know in advance what we are getting into. It is important to step out of your old ideas, take the first step and move forward. We have a lot of time, even a lifetime, to dare and get out of our comfort zones, but sometimes we are “pushed against the wall” over time and we have to make decisions, here and now. At the same time, we get to know ourselves through various situations and, for example, also objects to which we give meaning again. These situations make us stronger, because everything in life can move us forward, it just depends on how we approach it. The production focuses on all this through the adventures of the sailor Sindbad. Based on it, we can also perceive our lives as such an adventurous voyage, which is also a responsibility that we must take into our own hands. The production is a monodrama about a man who at first looks abandoned and insecure, but is really neither alone nor abandoned. He attaches meanings to the objects around him, and suddenly the objects around him come alive, they suddenly have their fixed place in the world and their meaning. In the stage space we can see a wooden table, on which lies the protagonist, portrayed with ease by a student of the 4th year Michal Ferenc. He filled the stage with his acting, along with several randomly distributed objects, accompanied by music by Dawid Mkrtchyan, who responds to the protagonist’s actions. Michal Ferenc’s work with objects on stage is very convincing. Each gesture is created with careful precision. For example, when he finds a bird’s head, which he brings to life by putting it on one finger. That finger becomes the neck for a moment, and the other fingers represent the wings or feet, depending on what needs to be expressed at that moment. A mere bird’s head becomes a puppet, which comes to life with a simple movement of the hand and fingers. His acting is natural, gentle and strong at the same time. At times, the protagonist’s movements are reminiscent of dance improvisation. The production, directed by Marek Idzikowski, the costumes and the extraordinary body of the actor contribute to the audience’s convincing creation of an illusionary adventure at sea.
Bára Erben (UPOL)