- International stage
- Theatre
THE SECOND WOMAN
Dates
26.06.26 / Friday - 27.06.26 / Saturday, 18:00
Dates
26.06.26 / Friday - 27.06.26 / Saturday, 18:00
Venue
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Language
Polish
Trigger warnings
May contain strong language and adult content.
Accessibility
- Entrance to Sala Ziemi is from Śniadeckich Street. Please follow the sidewalk on the right side of Gate No. 1 to Entrance B, located at the back of the building marked with the “Garden” sign.
- It is possible to purchase a disability ticket (OzN) that grants entry to the event together with an accompanying person.
- You may enter and leave the performance approximately every 10 minutes, between scene changes. When leaving for a break, you must collect a control pass from the staff at the door.
- Restrictions on bringing food and drinks: individuals who, for health reasons (e.g., chronic illnesses), need to consume their own food are asked to notify this in advance by email at natalia.dabrowska@malta-festival.pl by June 19, 2026. Permission to bring food into the event area will be confirmed by a reply email.
Accessibility of the venue where the event takes place → Earth Hall.
Additional information
Two types of tickets are available for this event.
Read before you buy:
____________
Co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund, a state special-purpose fund.
The culminating event of the Malta Festival theatre programme will be “The Second Woman”, the Polish edition of one of the most acclaimed contemporary theatre projects of recent years, created by Nat Randall and Anna Breckon. This is a 24-hour performance for one actress, Magdalena Cielecka, and 100 men selected through an open call. The project has previously been presented in London, New York, Vienna and Barcelona, among others.
It is an immersive performance in which the actress repeats the same breakup scene one hundred times, each time with a different scene partner. The performance involves 100 participants selected through an open call, which attracted 705 applicants.
The Second Woman unfolds in real time over 24 consecutive hours. The structure of the performance is based on the repetition of a single stage situation: a brief encounter between two people at the moment of separation. Each iteration lasts approximately ten minutes and is performed with a different scene partner, without rehearsals or prior arrangements.
At the climax of each scene, the actress’s partner makes a decision, delivering one of two lines: “I have always loved you” or “I have never loved you”. The repetition of the same situation does not lead to uniformity but instead reveals differences in behaviour, emotion and relational dynamics, transforming the performance into an exploration of intimacy, power and communication.
An important element of the project is its open form. The performance is created live, through the interaction between the actress and each successive scene partner, and its course remains unpredictable. Audiences may watch individual scenes or longer sections, observing the accumulation of tension, fatigue and meaning emerging through repetition.
The action is recorded by cameras and projected onto a screen, enabling audiences to experience the performance simultaneously on a micro scale, through details of gestures, glances and reactions, and across the durational arc of the entire performance.
Nat Randall and Anna Breckon’s project has been presented at venues and festivals including the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, Holland Festival in Amsterdam and Wiener Festwochen. In each iteration, the performance functioned as a locally embedded performative experiment, revealing distinct tensions and social contexts.
In the Poznań edition, 100 participants selected through an open call will take part. No acting experience is required. What matters most is the willingness to enter a brief yet intense stage situation.
Key Information:
- The Performance runs continuously for 24 hours.
- The ticket entitles the holder to enter either within a designated Time Slot or at any time (24-hour Ticket).
- After entering within their assigned Time Slot, the Spectator may remain until the end of the Performance.
- The Spectator may leave the Hall for up to 30 minutes, provided a Control Coupon is collected.
- In the case of a Time Slot Ticket, if the Spectator leaves for longer than 30 minutes, they will be treated as a new arrival and the ticket will lose its validity, unless they return within the hours assigned to their Time Slot.
- Entry to the Hall is only possible between scenes (approximately every 10 minutes).
- If the maximum capacity of the Hall is reached, entry may be temporarily suspended. A queue applies, with a Priority Queue for 24-hour Ticket holders.
- Purchasing a ticket constitutes acceptance of the regulations
Actor: Magdalena Cielecka
Guest performers: 100 men selected through an open casting call until 17 April.
Creators: Nat Randall & Anna Breckon
Script & Direction: Anna Breckon & Nat Randall
Video design: EO Gill & Anna Breckon
Lighting co-design: Kayla Burrett & Lauren Woodhead
Sound design: Nina Buchanan
Set design: FUTURE METHOD STUDIO
Original hair & makeup design: Sophie Roberts
Producer & Tour Manager: Jenny Vila – La Mecànica
Production Team at Malta Festival:
Head of Production: Marta Jankowiak’
Producer: Anna Zalejska
Coordination: Małgosia Kawula
Casting Coordinator: Marianna Wojciechowska
Production Assistants: Barbara Stafiniak, Zuzanna Kryńska
Stage Managers: Marta Sobolewska, Aleksandra Dyba
Video Directors: Agnieszka Jankowiak, Ewa Gnyp-Woźnica
Camera Operators: Nina Poznańska, Desi Kunsa, Iwona Kalinowska, Martyna Wróbel
Lighting: Patryk Kowol
Sound: Kacper Adamczak, Oliwia Chrostek
Costume Design: Marta Harner
Footwear: Vanda Novak
Make-up and Character Design: Joanna Chudyk, Agnieszka Rębecka
Wig Design: Anna Morawiecka
Definitions
- Hall – the venue where the Performance takes place, i.e. the Earth Hall at the Poznań International Fair (MTP) in Poznań.
- Foyer – a rest area and food zone, available exclusively to participants, but located outside the Performance space.
- 24-hour Ticket – entitles the holder to commence participation in the Performance at any time during its duration. A holder of a 24-hour Ticket is authorised to use the Priority Queue upon each entry to the Hall. The ticket is exchanged for an Identification Wristband and is not subject to Time Slots.
- Time Slot Ticket – entitles the holder to the first entry to the Hall exclusively within the time interval specified on the ticket. Upon verification, the ticket is exchanged for an Identification Wristband. After entering within the assigned Time Slot, the Spectator may remain until the end of the Performance.
- Identification Wristband – both the 24-hour Ticket and the Time Slot Ticket are exchanged for a wristband assigned to one person. The wristband must not be removed, transferred, or shared. Damage, removal, or lack of a wristband may result in refusal of re-entry.
- Time Slot – the time interval during which the Spectator is entitled to first entry to the Hall.
- Control Coupon – entitles the holder to re-enter the Hall within 30 minutes of leaving it. Issued on site by staff upon exiting during the Performance.
What types of tickets are available and what do they allow?
Two types of tickets are available for the Performance.
A. 24-hour Tickets
A 24-hour Ticket allows entry at any time between 26 June (6:00 PM) and 27 June (6:00 PM). It remains valid for the entire duration of the Performance.
Holders:
- receive an Identification Wristband
- may use the Priority Queue at each entry
- may return to the Hall even after a break longer than 30 minutes (subject to event rules)
B. Time Slot Tickets
A Time Slot Ticket allows the first entry only within the 3-hour time interval indicated on the ticket.
After verification, the ticket is exchanged for an Identification Wristband linked to that Time Slot.
Once inside, the Spectator may remain as long as they wish – until the end of the Performance.
Entry is possible only between scenes (each lasting approx. 10 minutes).
After the Time Slot expires, it is still possible to leave the Hall for up to 30 minutes, provided a Control Coupon is obtained leaving without a Control Coupon or exceeding 30 minutes results in loss of the right to re-enter.
I have a Time Slot Ticket. How long will I wait to enter?
A Time Slot Ticket guarantees priority entry within your selected time interval. However, due to the structure of the Performance, entry takes place only between scenes (approx. every 10 minutes).
Short waiting times may occur.
Are the tickets available on site?
Yes.
Subject to availability, tickets may also be purchased at the Earth Hall during the Performance.
On-site purchase does not guarantee immediate entry. If the Hall is full, a queue applies.
Entry will be possible when seats become available, between scenes. Waiting time depends on current occupancy.
Can I leave and return?
Yes.
If you plan a short break, you must collect a Control Coupon from staff before leaving.
Returning within 30 minutes with a valid Control Coupon allows re-entry via the Priority Queue.
If your break exceeds 30 minutes, re-entry is subject to ticket conditions and current occupancy.
Can I attend only part of the Performance?
Yes.
The Performance lasts 24 hours, and Spectators may attend for any duration:
- a few scenes
- several minutes
- several hours
- or the full duration
Time Slot Ticket holders begin their visit within the time interval specified on their ticket.
When can I use the Priority Queue?
You may use the Priority Queue if:
- you hold a 24-hour Ticket (with Identification Wristband)
- you hold a Time Slot Ticket, have a valid Identification Wristband, and are returning within 30 minutes with a Control Coupon
- you hold a ticket marked OzN (persons with disabilities), applicable to both 24-hour and Time Slot Tickets
Can I transfer my ticket to someone else?
No.
Each ticket is exchanged for an Identification Wristband upon entry, which allows movement between the auditorium and the event area.
What if my wristband is damaged or lost?
Damage, removal, or lack of an Identification Wristband may result in refusal of re-entry to the Performance.
Are seats assigned?
No. All seating is unnumbered.
Availability depends on current occupancy.
Can I change seats during the Performance?
Yes.
You may change seats between scenes, subject to availability.
Can I leave my belongings in the auditorium?
No. Leaving items does not reserve a seat.
The Organiser is not responsible for unattended belongings.
Can I take photos or record videos?
Short recordings and photos for private use using a mobile phone are allowed.
The following rules apply:
- no flash
- no professional equipment
When posting on social media, please use:
#TheSecondWomanMaltaFestival
#24hours
If personal comfort boundaries are exceeded, the rules may be changed at any time at the discretion of the artists or the organiser.
Can I bring food and drinks?
Yes, but only for consumption outside the Hall.
Food may be consumed freely in the foyer. It can also be left in the cloakroom.
Bringing food or drinks into the Hall is prohibited, as are items that generate noise (e.g. rustling packaging).
According to mass event regulations, the following are not permitted:
- glass containers
- metal containers
- plastic containers over 0.5L
- sealed bottles
Allowed:
- one plastic bottle of water (max. 0.5L)
or
- empty reusable bottles
For health reasons, larger quantities may be brought in upon prior notification to the accessibility coordinator.
Is the Performance accessible for people with disabilities?
Yes. Tickets and assistance are coordinated by:
Natalia Dąbrowska: natalia.dabrowska@malta-festival.pl
The accompanying person enters together with the person with a disability.
Holders of people with disabilities tickets may use the Priority Queue.
The Performance will be interpreted into Polish Sign Language between:
- 21:00–00:00
- 09:00–12:00
Information on the accessibility of the venue is available here: link
Is the Performance suitable for all audiences?
The Performance is intended for audiences aged 15 and above.
Due to its partially improvised nature, strong language or mature content may occur.
Will photos or recordings be made during the event?
Yes, in accordance with the festival regulations.
Participation in the Performance constitutes consent to the free recording and publication of the Spectator’s image in the Organiser’s promotional materials.
Can I hold a place in the queue for someone else?
No. Each person must queue in person, except for persons with special needs represented by an assistant.
Will I be able to sit with friends?
Seats are unnumbered, so shared seating cannot be guaranteed at the beginning.
However, seats can be changed between scenes.
Can I enter during a scene?
No.
Due to the structure of the Performance, entry and exit are only possible between scenes.
Each scene lasts approximately 10 minutes. Late arrivals must wait until the end of the current scene.
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