Review: NOT WITH YOUR DAUGHTER at Teatr Komedia Wroclaw - An Unusual Comedy With A Czech kiss. 

It's not very common to see a Czech play around. And as a surprise I have to admin that apparently I'm fan of it!

This play is about couples struggling with crisis on a horizon - it's not even there yet but prevention is the key. Those people: a bank clerk (Jan Weglowski) and a preschool teacher (Malgorzata Szeptycka), the manager of an artistic agency (Wojciech Dabrowski) and a librarian (Kinga Zabokrzycka) are facing their age and marriages with long years behind them. But there is no focus on the psychological aspect of those characters - there are more like instruments to provide an illustration of confusion in a lot of different levels. One innocent episode involved Sandra - young girl (Ola Zienkiewicz) leads to another misunderstands and as it should be in a decent comedy things get out of control and are shaped in hilarious way.

Situational comedy is a real blast but there is other key - even more important. Characters serve to laugh at stereotypes of all types of crisis: middle age, marriage and lack of energy in life. We have couple desperately looking for some excitements and refreshments, an old man whiling to be younger, more attractive and his wife searching for recognition. There is also a thief (Lukasz Ploszajski) - he's going through other life crisis - afer meeting with all the gang he wants to just escape this whole madness.

Antonín Procházka - the author of the play wrote a great comedy and director, Wojciech Dabrowski, made a great job putting this vibrant action together with a Czech touch. There is Czech music, dance - it's easy to watch and laugh. Serious question about boredom, marriage, age, passing, growing, relationships in family - between husband and wife but also between teenagers and adults are melting with dance and music in a specific slavic way.

Komedia Theater is like big family, there is this atmosphere of friendship and sharing a good moment together - artists with a public. This is one of those places where actors are grateful to the audience and try to connect with it - with a great result. I really appreciate this approach - feel like home in there.

This play is about searching, loving, friends caring about family. It's dynamic, funny and joyful. With a Czech touch - I'm in!

Photo: Teatr Komedia

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