“Pygmalion” – the famous 1912 satire by George Bernard Shaw, which has seen 11 film adaptations, most notably the iconic 1964 American musical “My Fair Lady” – now appears on the stage of the Polish Theatre in Poznań. More than a hundred years after its premiere, “Pygmalion” continues to inspire new generations of artists who build original performances based on this classic play.

Following the sharp intuition of the original author, this production explores social tensions and considers potential scenarios for the coming decades. We are transported to a near, dystopian future. The countries of the European Union have decided to deport all immigrants from the territories of united Europe. Persecution follows, crowded train stations evoke the darkest memories, and an atmosphere of fear and mistrust prevails.

As an act of protest, an educated and highly liberal family from Poznań decides to go on strike and stop going to work. One day, they discover a migrant woman hiding in their basement. They decide to help her. But in order to save Elizavieta, it is not enough to teach her to speak Polish without an accent – they must also turn her into a European, a Meta-Polish woman. A race against time begins, along with an absurd, desperate attempt to carve out an entirely new identity.

The creators of the performance, remaining faithful to the structure of classical drama, reflect on the cyclical nature of history. They ask: Are we trapped in an endless, repeating loop of events, filled with generational traumas, national complexes, and xenophobic fears? Is it possible to break the cycle?

Though the performance speculates about the future, it is, in essence, a laboratory of the reality we already know. It closely observes the new sculpting processes in which we all participate – political, class-based, national, and cultural. Because questions such as: How can we live together in a new, diverse Poland? On what foundations and mythology do we build our statehood? And finally: Who has the right to call themselves Polish? – urgently need answers now.