Hyper-realism and live cinema combine in a visceral Polish production
How can you deal with the greatest possible loss – that of your own, newly born child?
Pieces of a Woman explores this in the most visceral and cinematic theatre experience possible. Written and directed by a real-life married couple from Hungary, consisting of director Kornél Mundruczó and playwright Kata Wéber, this play was originally premiered in Warsaw, Poland, before gaining huge success as the Vanessa Kirby starring Netflix movie which swept up a number of awards.
The revival of the original production from famed company TR Warszawa is touring Europe currently and made a huge splash at the Battersea Arts Centre in London. Transforming the space into a diorama world, this production is both maximalist and minimalist in its scope, carving out a spectacular theatrical experience.
Focusing on the trauma of Maja, played by Justyna Wasilewska, a young mother who’s at home birth ends in failure and the death of her baby, “Pieces of a Woman” demonstrates how such a traumatic experience fractures the mind, body and soul of one woman. For the first section of the play the audience is shielded from the intensity of this birth, with the live action playing out within the hidden confines of the house projected against a white screen, shielding us from the reality of the situation.
The play unfolds into the second half where we are exposed to an elaborately designed, hyper-realistic set of a home, replete with working kitchen, bathroom and all of the necessary fittings. It feels like an eternity since I have seen a set that so perfectly captures reality, it is almost dizzying. Coupled with the live cinema element of the first section, the suspension of belief is easy to achieve. It is the epitome of immersive theatre-making.
The play naturalistically displays a family dealing with a distanced trauma in their own particular ways. Maja’s husband Lars devolves into drug and alcohol abuse and her mother schemes ways to get compensation for the loss of the child. The fragments of her womanhood are scattered across the floor of the house.
A triumph of theatrical endeavour, merging live cinema with hyper-realism to create an unforgettable piece of art that speaks volumes not only to our times but to every woman in the audience.