The circus and travelling street theatre are inextricably linked. This is precisely what the slogan for this year’s edition – ‘La Strada’ – emphasises; it is translated as ‘the street’, but it is a reference to the title of Federico Fellini’s film about travelling circus performers. The artists from around the world whom we will meet in Kraków represent a whole range of open-air theatre forms that are related to or synonymous with the circus. Particularly noteworthy is Block – a now legendary play about living in a city by the British company Motionhouse. Its performers, moving with acrobatic agility amongst gigantic blocks that constantly change their shape, weave an evocative, breathtaking story without words. In Beyond by the Belgian troupe Circumstances, the display of circus skills takes place using wobbly ladders, through which the performers create a symbolic image of building and transcending boundaries. The TNT group (also from Belgium), already familiar to Kraków audiences, will, in turn, perform a dance on moving poles in their play Moving Poles. If you have never seen white elephants on stilts walking down the street, you will have a chance to do so thanks to the French company Compagnie Tac o Tac. They are arriving with Elefantaisy – a spectacularly staged production in which we will see a circus woven from dreams and poetic imagination, drawing on the work of the Surrealists – Salvador Dalí and René Magritte. You should not miss the Compagnie Accrorap’s performance, either. Founded thirty years ago and led constantly by Kader Attou, this French company brings together seemingly disparate artistic styles and uses dance to foster intercultural dialogue. This group’s performance of Prélude will be a showcase of acrobatic skill, ballet, circus artistry and a perfect mastery of hip-hop aesthetics; it marks Attou’s return to his childhood spent in the suburbs of Lyon. The internationally renowned Catalan clown Guillem Albà will also come to Krakow with his original show Ma solitud. His intimate, moving and amusing performance is brought to life by hands animating miniature puppets. While being delighted to welcome guests from around the world, we should not forget many outstanding theatre companies from Poland, including the internationally renowned festival organiser – the KTO Theatre led by Jerzy Zon – as well as the Nemno Theatre, the Niewielki [Tiny] Theatre and the Makata Visual Arts Theatre.
