Duration: 1h 25'
In Polish with English subtitles.
Available: 24 hours
Age recommendation: 12+
Directed and performed by Piotr Kondrat
"Shakespeare's night" is the result of a twenty-year continuous dialogue between Piotr Kondrat and Shakespeare's works. What inspired the piece was the world shutting down in the midst of a global pandemic, and the shutting down of theatres. In that context, we cannot help but ponder the most important things in life. Opening the mind at the same time as the world is shutting down. We ask ourselves the important questions. Those questions have a special meaning in the works of Shakespeare. "Shakespeare's night" unfolds between Shylock and Hamlet, two of the most mysterious characters stemming from the work of theatre's most important poet. There are 5 clowns among them - of which one is the clown of God and that of the most important commandment. The host of the evening is William Shakespeare, wielding a Bible. For him, this performance is an attempt to purify himself of human passions and transcend to heaven. A journey full of falls and hardship, "Shakespeare's night" has a special connection to our time of isolation in an artistic sense as well. Most scenes were recorded by Piotr Kondrat with his own video equipment, carried out without the help of others. In contrast, the scenes taking place in the theatre were recorded by a professional camera operator with a high-quality camera. "Shakespeare's night" is a journey to the truth. The truth of life and that of the theatre, with a special guest star in the form of Pantani, the cat.
During his 30-year theatre and film career, Piotr Kondrat played 111 roles. He collaborated with 10 Polish theatres and several Shakespeare Festivals throughout the world. In Romania, he presented 3 of his Shakespeare performances at the Craiova Shakespeare Festival. He also played in Brussels, New York, Paris and Moscow. In 2019, he participated in an international production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in Armenia, playing the role of Puck. He is also most often the scriptwriter of the Shakespeare performances he is featured in, either as sole or co-author. Piotr Kondrat is one of the most acclaimed contemporary Polish Shakespearean actors.
Piotr Kondrat - actor of the Powszechny Theatre, in Radom. He also collaborated with the Dramatyczny Theatre in Warsaw, STU Theatre in Cracow, Współczesny Theatre in Wrocław, Polski Theatre in Bydgoszcz, Szaniawskiego Theatre in Wałbrzych, and Polski Theater in Lwów. His most notable roles throughout his career have been: Kaspar Hauser, Jesus Christ, Hamlet, Oberon, Prospero, Puck, Shylock, Chlestakov, Tito Merelli, King Ignacy, Mr. Bouvier, Mr. Jenkins. He has collaborated with renowned Polish theatre directors: Piotr Cieplak, Janusz Wiśniewski, Andrzej Grabowski, Waldemar Zawodziński, Maja Kleczewska, Jan Klata.
Education:
1986-1990 Theatre School, Wroclaw - Acting
1984-1986 Theatre School, Warsaw - Drama
Film:
"Extradition 2" directed by Wiesław Wójcik, 1996
"The wars fiancée" directed by Peter Edwards, 1996
"The master" directed by Piotr Trzaskalski, 2004
"The ciphers stronghold" directed by Adek Drabiński, 2006
"The debt collector" directed by Feliks Falk 2005
"The rules of the game" directed by Wojciech Jagiełło, 2013
"Syberiada polska" directed by Janusz Zaorski, 2013
„Sara" directed by Agnieszka Tereba, 2014
„Maria Skłodowska-Curie" directed by Marie Noelle, 2016
„Klecha" directed by Jacek Gwizdała, 2019
He has received special awards at theatre festivals organized in Wroclaw, Riga, Kiev, and Volgograd.