Review: YEMAYA – QUEEN OF THE SEAS at OPERA WROCLAW - Be brave and dive in it!

Opera for kids it's very hard to produce. Kids are very demanding audience - but Wroclaw Opera did it and by silence from kids in the audience through the whole show I would say it's a success!

Yemaya is a major water deity, she is figure of sea, water and ocean goodness from Africa. This is a play about her and her kingdom for young and adult, a story about power and facing reality.

Omar, a little boy (Tymoteusz Gaura) is emotional and living in his own world - he speaks to plants and objects, he's emotional, rejected by kids in the neighborhood. His father (Jacek Jaskula) doesn't accept this fact and fight over it in his own way - force Omar to change - maybe doesn't understand him which makes Omar even more isolated. His mother is dead and he creates his own reality around him. Then war appears and during escape Omar goes under water where he mets Yemaya (Bozena Bujnicka) and her kingdom. From there action is more and more like a fairytale - this world is idyllic - perfectly shown by moves and decoration. It's safe and beautiful, ideal for Omar - emotional refuge. For once he's accepted and can be with his friends - flowers and fish. His appearance will disturb Yemaya existence and from this moment this perfect and efficient queen sees that her world isn't perfect. A boy - human being, from another universe makes her understand that there is something missing in her life - something she cannot totally rule over but it's valuable and it's touching her soul.

It's something for children and adults. Great music made by Zygmunt Krauze, amazing scenography (by Matylda Kotlinska) and magnificent costumes (by Anna Sekula) are making a perfect and true magical experience. This is contemporary show for kids and with kids. A great number of performers appear on the stage making audience feel under water.

Young audience appreciates moving, changing, flowing but adults have chance to dive in there as well with a lot of pleasure on the way. Nobody will be disappointed - show is simply beautiful and made with a lot of grace.

This is story about fear, love, parents, kids, friendship, war, delicacy, desperation, cruelty and magic. This is what the real world is, right? Be brave and go with Omars delicacy in this complex space of new experiences.

Photo: Marta Ankiersztejn-Wegier

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