Phobia

Markus Öhrn and Karol Radziszewski present a brutal lesson in a little-known history. "Fobia" is a convergence of two different artistic practices. Markus Öhrn employs an exaggerated, sharp, almost cartoonish visual language, while Karol Radziszewski employs a research-based and documentary approach, focusing on Poland's non-heteronormative, untold history. The performance, in typical Markus Öhrn fashion, is constructed in three episodes. The "Fag Fighters," a pink gay commando from Radziszewski's ongoing project since 2007, confront members of a family, as well as representatives from the worlds of business and art.

"Fobia" serves as an ironic critique of society. The creators examine the issue of violence and stigmatizing stereotypes surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals, with the "Fag Fighters" they take over the language of hatred for their own use. The creators' critical examination of these three domains: family, business, and culture, serves as a pretext to delve into the exploitation of minority groups, driven by the desire to build their own symbolic capital, amass wealth, or strengthen authority. One of the themes explored is the so-called "pinkwashing," for example, when international corporations, capitalizing on excessive consumerism, promote their brands by simulating support for LGBTQ+ individuals.

So, what is homophobia then? Is it only explicit violence and hatred expressed directly, or could it be a hidden element in integration scenarios written by heteronormative individuals? Markus Öhrn and Karol Radziszewski take us on a rollercoaster ride through stereotypes, apparent tolerance, alleged acceptance, and some of our most deeply held, supposedly righteous beliefs.

Performance for audiences aged 18 and up. Content Warnings: vulgar language, violence, sexual violence, blood 

Concept: Markus Öhrn, Karol Radziszewski
Direction: Markus Öhrn Script: Markus Öhrn, Karol Radziszewski
Set Design/Costumes: Markus Öhrn, Karol Radziszewski
Collaborative Set and Costume Design: Saskia Hellmann
Images: Karol Radziszewski
Music: Michał Pepol, Bartek Wąsik
Masks: Makode Linde
Makeup: Monika Kaleta
Stage Manager: Łukasz Jóźków
Assistant Directors: Anna Lewandowska, Angelika Mizińska
Producers: Anna Skała, Angelika Mizińska
Poster Design: Karol Radziszewski
Program Design: Renata Motyka
Translation of poems and songs into English: Marek Kaźmierski
English Text Editing: Dominika Gajewska
Subtitles Preparation and Implementation: Zofia Szymanowska

cast: 

Wojciech Kalarus

Ewelina Pankowska

Piotr Polak

Magdalena Popławska

Jan Sobolewski

premiere: 7th of November 2023 r.

"We are watching a wonderfully perverse thing in every sense of the word about the titular phobia, more precisely – homophobia, which is not exclusively hate speech – as it may seem, but takes various forms – for example in business — pinkwashing (a relatively — ahem — bold scene in terms of customs, but more sociologically speaking, we invite corporations to the theatre!) or — in culture — as rightly pointed out — building capital on the popular topic of LGBTQ+.

The play pushed me back into my seat three times, and once I took a deep breath because it is REALLY heavy. But the performance is simply great, at times incredibly funny (and therefore, of course, very sad), fantastically performed, logical, consistent and – however it may sound – instructive. Is it incredibly vulgar? Well, you don't go to the theatre with complete impunity, do you? I am simply delighted with this wild ride."

Rafał Turowski for e-Teatr.pl 

"Markus Öhrn, true to his stage method, once again dressed the actors in masks that stripped them of their individuality and equipped them with voice-altering synthesizers (adding Radziszewski's balaclavas), in order to use dehumanised figures to tell a deeply human story – the hypocrisy of our wonderful civilisation."

Anna Sańczuk for VOGUE.PL

Awards and festivals:

GRAND PRIX of The 17th International Theatre Festival Divine Comedy, Krakow 2024

May 14, 2024 - 64th Kalisz Theatre Meetings / Wojciech Bogusławski Theatre, Kalisz
June 11, 2024 – Divadelná Nitra, Bratislava (Slovakia)
June 25-26, 2024 – Biennale Teatro 2024, Wenecja (Włochy)
December 6–7, 2024 – International Theatre Festival Divine Comedy (Boska Komedia), Kraków (Poland)
May 25, 2025 – 39th Days of Contemporary Art, Białystok (Poland)
22 October 2025 – Wybrzeże Theatre, Gdańsk (Poland)
5–6 December 2025 – House of Contemporary Arts Trafó, Budapest, Hungary