29th International Shakespeare Festival

PROGRAMME

Performances from Japan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Spain and Poland will be presented as part of the 29th International Shakespeare Festival. The programme includes „Richard II” by Kochi Yamato, „The Tempest” by Oksana Dmitrieva and an avant-garde version of „Macbeth” performed by The Tiger Lillies and La Perla 29. In addition, as many as nine premieres will be shown.

THE MOTTO – WORDS, WORDS, WORDS

”Words, words, words” is a quote from William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Act II, scene 2).

Hamlet, in uttering this maxim, criticises empty words, hypocrisy and formalism (in the royal court, in politics, and in relationships). He is plunged into despair and internal conflict. At the same time, he expresses his powerlessness in the face of the limitations of language. He also criticises the worthless content that surrounds him - gossip, political nonsense, empty declarations, words without meaning.

Today, too, we are being overloaded with an enormous amount of messages. And so, by choosing the motto “Words, words, words”, we refer to the overabundance of information. Highlighting how easy it is to get lost in a sea of words and how important it is to find the ones that really matter. In the age of social media and digital communication, words are used in a fast and often superficial way, often even contributing to tragedy (online hejt, verbal violence).

Shakespeare's “Words, words, words” can be a reminder of the value of deep, thoughtful communication that has the power to influence people and shape reality. As we move away from information over-saturation, we want to move towards quieting the mind and slowing down.

The motto ‘Words, words, words’ prompts us to lean on the value of words written almost 500 years ago. Do Shakespeare's plays still have meaning, are his words still able to move us?

The full programme for the 29th International Shakespeare Festival can be found via the link: https://festiwalszekspirowski....