Inspired by Shakespeare’s drama, the latest premiere by the internationally acclaimed Teatr Biuro Podróży – beloved by both Poznań’s and global audiences – tells the story of people consumed by dreams of power, who are willing to take the lives of others to achieve it.

In a bold artistic choice, the creators have cast Prospero as a woman. Stripped of her throne and cast into exile, Prospera builds a semblance of a state on a remote island, ruling over two enslaved beings: Ariel, who possesses magical powers and aids her in seeking revenge, and Caliban, who extracts the island’s natural resources.

Prospera’s magic draws to the island a group of power-hungry elites. Their ship wrecks during a violent storm, and the survivors wash ashore. Prospera manipulates reality, tangling their paths and toying with their helplessness. But not everything goes according to plan. Her revenge, originally intended as a means to reconciliation, ultimately leads to a crime.

After its Malta Festival premiere, the production will travel to the UK as part of an international tour celebrating the Polish-British cultural season. The staging of the performance is rooted in strong ecological values: much of the set design is crafted from reclaimed materials, including doors salvaged from Poznań tenement houses.

Co-financed from the budget of the City of Poznań. #poznanwspiera