The Ugly Duckling

A performance based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen

The theatrical performance The Ugly Duckling based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, directed by Bartosz Kurowski, is aimed at audiences aged 6 and above. It is a reliable and at times very amusing stage adaptation of the popular story presented in the convention of form theater—puppets and masks. The colorful and exaggerated forms capture the audience’s attention, while the dialogues direct it to important matters that Hans Christian Andersen brings to children—the categories of tolerance and acceptance, as well as the right to respect and the search for one’s own path and place.

The production is realized as part of the National Competition “Kultura Wrażliwa” (Sensitive Culture)—people with alternative motor skills, people with intellectual disabilities, and neurodivergent people were invited to join the group of authors of the theatrical performance. Together with the actors of Teatr Pinokio in Łódź, they introduce new value and quality to performative arts aimed at the youngest and adolescent audiences, opening them to new ways of receiving and understanding theater. Inseparable elements of the theatrical performance are audio description, translation into Polish Sign Language, and plain language.

The performance includes a quotation from a fragment of “Ivona, Princess of Burgundy” by Witold Gombrowicz, 1985.

As part of the investment activities for the project “The Ugly Duckling. Activities of Teatr Pinokio in Łódź inviting people with special needs to spread their wings” an induction loop was purchased.

Premiere: November 16, 2024

Creators

Translation: Stefania Beylin
Adaptation and direction: Bartosz Kurowski
Set design: Mateusz Mirowski
Musical composition: Łukasz Matuszyk
Choreography: Tatiana Cholewa
Education: Marta Magalska, Wiktor Moraczewski, Wiktoria Różycka
PSL translation: Zuzanna Gieras
Author and narrator of audio description: Danuta Kołaczek
Plain language consultation: Agnieszka Bienias, Piotr Jędrzejski, Anna Wieczorek

Cast

Łukasz Batko
Wiktoria Cymer (guest)
Łukasz Derendarz (guest)
Anna Dzieduszycka (guest)
Hanna Matusiak/ Ewa Wróblewska
Piotr Osak
Joanna Puchała (guest)
Natalia Wieciech

Gallery

Three actors in colorful, stylized bird costumes on a dark, light-reflecting stage; in the central part, a figure in a large skirt and headpiece resembling a bird's head.
An actor in a bright red, exaggerated bird costume with extended arms, a large skirt, and a tall headpiece resembling a bird's head with a decorative crest.
An actor in a red checkered costume and mask with a mustache and pointed ears, performing a dance movement on a dark stage.
On a dark theatrical stage, two figures appear in bright red, exaggerated costumes (one in a large skirt, the other in a dynamic pose), and next to them stands a person in a black-and-white checkered shirt.
Informational poster about the funding of the project "The Ugly Duckling. Activities of Teatr Pinokio in Łódź inviting people with special needs to spread their wings" from the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities as part of the "Kultura Wrażliwa" competition.
photos: Mateusz Dziworski

Trailer

trailer: Mateusz Dziworski

Poster

Colorful theatrical poster for the performance "The Ugly Duckling" on a checkered background, featuring a drawn collage with a dominant silhouette of a large black bird, yellow ducklings, houses and nature elements, and a large header with the title.
poster: Uczniowie i uczennice SPS 176 w Łodzi/ Mateusz Dziworski