Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk’s masterpiece has been described as a book that, once read, stays with you forever. The novel has captivated readers with its philosophical detective story and the scope of its timeless themes. At its center is Janina, a tenacious woman whose unique worldview leads us into exploring the most beautiful mysteries of nature and astrology. She is a romantic with the sharp drive of Miss Marple.
In a remote Polish village, where teacher Janina feels like an outsider, hunters suddenly start dying one after another in the strangest ways. All the evidence points to an astonishing conclusion: could the animals in the area have conspired to take revenge for their slain kin? No one listens to Janina, who believes that the deaths are nature's revenge. The intrigue is brewing: what is humanity’s role in the world if nature has intentions of its own?
The novel is being adapted and brought to the Dailes Theatre stage by Ola Mafaalani, a Netherlands-based director of Syrian descent. Together with a talented group of Latvian artists, whom she calls her “dream team” – currently most known Latvian designer Germans Ermičs (making his debut in set design), internationally renowned composer Krists Auznieks, talented choreographer Elīna Gediņa and the brilliant costume design duo MAREUNROL’S – Mafaalani will bring to life visually stunning poetry, previously unseen in Latvian theatres. It will be threaded with humor, mind-expanding and soul-opening ideas, the smells of food and the textures of practical stage magic.