Location34 Holden StreetHindmarsh SA 5007 next to the Soccer Stadium(only 6 mins from the corner of Adelaide) FREE PARKING Postal164 South RoadTorrensville SA 5031 t: 08 82231450 f: 08 82236568 e: admin@holdenstreettheatres.com
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The Tailor of Inverness - Krawiec z Inverness
presented by Holden Street Theatres & Dogstar Theatre
POWERFUL, MOVING, EMOTIONAL, EVOCATIVE. Reviews **** The Advertiser - Samela Harris **** 1/2 Adelaide Theatre Guide - Fran Edwards Nominated for Fringe Award for Best Theatre & for Fringe Award for Best Performer If you saw this you will know that this was a beautiful piece of theatre. We offered the Tailor a tour to Australia as the winner of our first award presented in Edinburgh and people who saw it in Edinburgh said it was even more beautiful here in Adelaide. I believe it was one of the most beautiful pieces of theatre I had seen in along time. It was the beautiful journey of (the writer and performer) Matthew's father's journey through WW2 and whilst yea it was one man's journey and therefore is a story about one man and can be deemed self indulgent was about more than that. This piece touched the hearts of so many people and brought back to life the memories of fathers, grandfathers, uncle and friends who were lost in the war or who had similar stories. Children of war who had never heard their parents speak of that time were saying to u after the show that they now had some understanding of the journey their fathers had taken. The techniques used were simple and effective there were subtle moments that tore through you and will stay there forever. All of this pulled in with the haunting live sound-scape by Gavin Marwick made it one of the most memorable pieces or art I have been involved with. We welcomed a new audience group to Holden Street and would like to thank the Polish and ethnic communities for embracing this production and welcoming Matthew with such warmth, we hope to see you again. For those who missed The Tailor; I wish you had seen it, for those who didn't: I am glad and I hope you got as much from it as I did. **** Reviewed by Matt Byrne - Sunday Mail This is a powerful story that reveals a tortured tapestry of interwoven lies. Matthew Zajac's real search for the truth behind his Polish father's journey from war-torn Europe to Scotland is a well-woven piece of theatre. On an adaptable set featuring a sewing table and live violin accompaniment from Gavin Marwick, Zajac is compelling as both his father and himself. The action switches back and forth between the official story of his journey and the devastating alternative versions that Zajac unlocks when he goes to the Ukraine to speak to relatives. Ben Harrison's taut direction drives the action. The Tailor of Inverness is a one-man show, written and performed by Matthew Zajac, and it tells the story of Mateusz Zajac, a Polish tailor who fought in the Polish army, was captured by the Nazis, escaped and set about a lengthy journey that led ultimately to freedom in Scotland. A white sheet, scrunched and coloured at the edges provides a flexible backdrop for maps that detail the tailor's journey, surtitles, and images that complement Zajac's performance and Gavin Marwick sensitively accompanies his storytelling on a violin. Zajac has a strong connection with this tailor's tale because it is the story of his father; he tells it with conviction and flair as he smoothly transforms character, time and place, speaking in numerous languages. Zajac cleverly uses a clothing rack, a tailor's dummy and various pieces of clothing to become the other characters in his father's world. The Tailor of Inverness is exactly the kind of show one hopes to experience in a Fringe festival. Simply but imaginatively staged and convincingly performed by a skilled actor whose character portrayal is warm and entertaining. The Studio @ Holden Street Theatres, until March 22. "MATTHEW Zajac wastes no time setting the pace in a passionate tribute to his father in the The Tailor of Inverness. In a fast-paced opening scene, he plays two characters on the run before slumping on a table in the middle of a tailor's workshop, settling into his father's character. As the one-man show continues, comedy, emotion, anger and loss are mixed to provide the audience with a change of pace a lot happens on this tiny set. The audience is taken on the joint journeys of Zajac Snr battling for survival and settling in Scotland after the war and of his son Matthew, who looks to piece together his father's fractured past. References made earlier by Zajac Snr are revisited by Matthew when he returns to his father's birthplace and connects with his previously unknown half-sister. Zajac Snr struggles to come to terms with his forced migration from his native Poland, questioning his identity in a passionate scene where he yells, "I am a Ukrainian, a Russian, a Pole...", while sticking the various national emblems to his shirt. A pair of glasses is used to let the audience know when Zajac changes characters and eras while an accompanying violin sets the mood. Jackets and shirts become characters: a clothes rack becomes a train; and a pink scarf portrays a lady in the scene. Through an exhausting 90 minutes of fast-paced scene and character changes, Zajac's ability to speak fluent German, Polish and English with a progressive Scottish accent depending where his father is in the story adds to a simple, yet complex tribute to his late father. - The Leader Messenger - Duane Sholson-Schultz * * * * (out of five) Gripping and evocative, The Tailor of Inverness crosses Europe and beyond to tell a story of war and forced migration, giving a man a chance to start again but leaving his son tying to piece together who his father really was. Written and compellingly performed by Matthew Zajac, the play follows his father Mateusz from his childhood in Galicia, Poland (now the Ukraine), to his struggle to survive the carnage of WW2 when he was drafted into the German and Russian armies, to his tailor shop in Scotland. This play has a lot to live up to after winning three awards at the Edinburgh Fringe, but it doesn't disappoint, helped by haunting music and an atmospheric set. With brilliantly fractured English full of character and charm, Mateusz draws the audience into his tailor shop and into his memories, leading his son to ultimately discover the past his father never spoke of.The Fix - Rachel Broadley ------Gregg Elliot - Independent Weekly------- MORE INFO A forced migration amongst the brutal vagaries of WWII. One man's journey from Galicia (Poland) to Inverness (Scotland). In a new country, he became a new man. Weaving himself into the fabric of life, reconstructing a new identity. Was he who he said he was? The Tailor of Inverness is a powerful, moving and emotional drama which explores issues of insecurity, family relationships, war and love. Written and performed by Matthew Zajac, Directed by Ben HarrisonWhy was this show awarded the Holden Street Theatres Edinburgh Award? "I saw this and fell in love with both the story and the telling of it. The actor, Matthew Zajac, dramatises his father’s story, and his style is enchanting. I was taken on a powerful journey and truly one of the most beautiful experiences I've had in the theatre. I've seen many stories of one man but this is different. Gavin Marwick the violinist, is on stage with Matthew, he watches and feels his every move and breath, it's captivating. I saw 'Tailor' a few times and each time found something more. I chose it because I believe that its one of the best pieces of theatre I've seen, because the experience I had watching it is something I will never forget and because I believe you will feel the same way." – Martha Lott The Tailor of Inverness is the story of how a boy who grew up on a farm in Galicia (Eastern Poland, now Western Ukraine) came to be a tailor in Inverness, of how a life and an identity can be reconstructed. The tailor’s life spanned most of the 20th century, and the journey he took was made by thousands of Poles during the Second World War. His was a forced migration, subject to the brutal vagaries of war. He travelled and fought through Poland, the Soviet Union, Persia, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Italy, Austria, Germany, France and England before settling in Scotland. In a new country, he became a new man. There was no going back. He integrated himself into the fabric of Highland life. And fabric was perhaps the most important medium through which he achieved this. Making a variety of clothes for thousands of people, including himself, constructing the outward trappings which play a part in defining who we are. This man’s story is not straightforward. He was one of millions whose fate was determined by massive upheavals. But was he really who he said he was? Holden Street and Dogstar Theatre bring you the winner of a Scotsman Fringe First for new writing and innovation, The Stage Award for Best Solo Performer - Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Holden Street Theatres Edinburgh Award. Edinburgh critics... "...a beautifully realised tale of the reality of survival in war-torn Eastern Europe...Matthew Zajac's moving performance is a triumph of evocative staging and storytelling." Katie Toms, The Observer "...a brave biographical piece...that has succeeded in turning a deeply personal family story into a universal work of theatre." Mark Brown, Sunday Herald **** "...in Ben Harrison's graceful production, the telling of the tale is both strongly theatrical and visually compelling, with subtle use of light and sound, video and still images, and the wonderful live fiddle music of Gavin Marwick." Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman **** Feb 26 @ 7:30pm PRV, Mar 2 @ 11am, Mar 7 - 8 @ 2pm, Mar 22 @ 6pm, Mar 10 - 15 @ 7:45pm, Feb 28, Mar 1, 3 - 7, 17 - 21 @ 8:30pm A $25 C $20 Prv $12 FB $20 BankSA $20 CD's by the Scottish Fiddle player Gavin Marwick available for purchase from the Holden Street Theatres bar for $15 to $20. |
