Teatr Biuro Podróży

Teatr Biuro Podróży (Travel Agency Theatre) is an award-winning alternative theatre company based in Poznan, Poland. Founded by Paweł Szkotak in 1988, this Polish theatre ensemble creates and performs large-scale, outdoor theatre on social and political themes, using gesture, physical action, visual spectacle, music, and minimal text. The company tours regularly and has performed in almost forty countries.

The group’s most famous piece, "Carmen Funebre" (Funeral Song), is based on interviews with victims of the Balkan wars. Developed in 1993-1994, "Carmen Funebre" continues to tour internationally, including performances in the U.S. in 2003 and in the UK in 2007. "Carmen Funebre" was awarded Fringe First (1995), the Critic’s Award (1995), and the Hamada Award (1996) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The ensemble's most recent production, "HofD" (Heart of Darkness) premiered in London in the summer of 2007 at the National Theatre's outdoor festival, Watch This Space.

Productions

"HofD" (Heart of Darkness), 2007
"Facing the Zone", in collaboration with EcodomArt (Belarus) and Arabeski Teatr (the Ukraine), 2006
"MacBeth: Who is that Bloodied Man?", 2005
"Pigs", 2003
"Manuscript by Alfonso van Worden", 2001
"Millennium Mystries", 2000
"Moonsailors", 1999
"Drink Vinegar Gentlemen", 1998
"Not of Us", 1997
"Carmen Funebre", 1993-1994
"Giordano", 1992
"The Gentle End of Death", 1990
"Einmal ist keinmal", 1989

Awards

1989 – First Prize at the Polish National Festival of Young Theatre – START Festival for "Einmal ist keinmal"
1992 – Ensemble Award at the Łódz Theatre Meetings festival for "Giordano"
1995 – Fringe First and Critic’s Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for "Carmen Funebre"
1996 – Hamada Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for "Carmen Funebre"
2001 – Award for Best Scenography at the Festival of Experimental Theatre in Cairo
2005 – Best Script at the National Festival of Comedy in Tarnów, Poland for "Pigs"

Paweł Szkotak, Founder

Born in 1965, Szkotak was educated at Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznan, Poland). In addition to leading Teatr Biuro Podróży, he is also the artistic director of Polski Teatr in Poznan, which was named one of the best repertory theatres in Poland by "Teatr" magazine in 2004. He is also director of the Maski Festival of experimental theatre in Poznan. He has been granted over a dozen awards for his work, including the prestigious Passport award from "Polityka" magazine (2004), presented to outstanding Polish artists that represent Poland abroad.

References

* [http://www.teatrbiuropodrozy.ipoznan.pl/indexeng.html Teatr Biuro Podróży]
* [http://www.culture.pl/en/culture/ Adam Mickiewicz Institute]
* [http://www.teatr-polski.pl/ Teatr Polski in Poznan]

Other Languages

* [http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biuro_Podróży_%28teatr%29 Polish]