Grzegorz Jarzyna - Toneelgroep Amsterdam

Grzegorz Jarzyna is one of today's most important Polish directors. At the Stary Theatre in Krakow he was assistant to his great mentor Krystian Lupa. After his debut as a director in 1997 he became artistic director of the Rozmaitosci Theatre, now renamed TR Warszawa. International recognition soon followed. He was a guest at deSingel with the highly acclaimed 'Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy' by Witold Gombrowicz. His first appearance as a director for Toneelgroep Amsterdam was for Laurens Spoor's Dutch translation Jean Racine's 'Phèdre' (1677). Grand dame Chris Nietvelt (Phaedra) delivered a blistering performance in this play about an all-destructive and forbidden passion. After the alleged death of her husband Theseus, Phaedra declares her love to Theseus' son Hippolytus, but he rejects her. Hippolytus is in love with Arcicia, the daughter of one of Theseus' sworn enemies. Theseus then returns from the war and Phaedra, bent on self-preservation, denounces Hippolytus. This is a story of passion and hubris, a true masterpiece of classical French theatre literature in alexandrines.