Review: PEER GYNT at Polish National Opera

In this enchanting tale, a grown man finds himself in one predicament after another, navigating dangers involving axes, perilous journeys, and furious trolls. This is a world teeming with wonder and magic—a Scandinavian realm where folklore and fantasy intertwine. Our hero, a young man portrayed by Patryk Walczak, is desperate to escape his mundane reality, carrying with him a tangle of "mommy issues" and an inexplicable fascination with deer. Determined to find himself, he stumbles into both ordinary and extraordinary troubles (raise your hand if you haven't been entangled in the surprise pregnancy of a troll king’s daughter).

The telling of this fairy tale, blending Gulliver, Don Juan, and Peter Pan, is astonishingly poetic, laced with mystery and shadows. It is a world as misty and profound as an ancient forest. Starting with the deer (Kristof Szabo) who moves with his crutches with incredible flexibility and fluidity, the performance evokes an atmosphere that feels plucked from the pages of an old, beautifully illustrated Scandinavian book tale. The costumes, the trolls, and the entire ensemble create a visual feast, as if lifted from a storybook, embodying a folklore that feels both local and timeless. The characters are dark yet irresistibly playful. The priest/devil, portrayed by Carlos Martin Perez, radiates intense, enigmatic energy, while Peer bursts with such dynamic life that when he lands from his graceful leaps, it's as though he’s granted gravity permission to catch him. His wild solo is pure poetry—a dance of movement and inner demons. The deer has the gentle vulnerability of Bambi with the ethereal lightness of a spring breeze, embodying a lyrical energy that feels alive with nature’s pulse. Together, these elements create a rare, original harmony that makes even the stones feel like they could join in this symbolic dance.

The creative minds behind this production—choreographer Edward Clug, set designer Marko Japelj, Costume Designer Leo Kulas, lighting designer Tomaz Premzl, and ballet coaches Milos Isajlovic and Mirjana Srot—have brought this piece to audiences across Europe since its Maribor premiere in 2015. I can assure you that this recreation feels as vibrant and fresh as the premiere. I am amazed how this modern dance has aged so well. Like a fine wine, it's got more character with every passing year—richer, maybe a little denser, and somehow even harder to resist.

The National Opera beckons you to dive into this tale for yourself. Experience Peer Gynt as it unfolds in Warsaw—a mesmerizing journey of fantasy and discovery, of dreams both strange and striking. Since its first steps in Maribor, this tale has captured audiences across Europe, and now it’s Poland’s turn to fall under its spell.

Photo: Ewa Krasucka