Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace

One of the most famous dark comedies in the international repertoire, which for decades has provoked laughter from audiences around the world, receives a contemporary reading and a shifted perspective in a new staging. Through the story of seemingly mild, well-meaning elderly women and their unusual humanitarian activities, a satirical portrait of society is built, while raising questions of morality, normality and family values.

In this interpretation the motives change compared to the original text: instead of lonely old men, the heroines Abby and Martha save young people. This shift stems from the historical context of the drama, set during World War II, but also from the contemporary social moment marked by increasingly pronounced global conflicts and the sense that the world is harsher and more unjust for younger generations than before. From that angle, the heroines' warped logic takes shape: they believe they will liberate young people from the suffering of the world that awaits them.

The production is shaped as a dynamic dark vaudeville, filled with rapid twists, heightened physical performance and expressive stagecraft. Special emphasis is placed on the overall stage atmosphere, which is built through the coordinated interplay of set design, lighting, costumes and music, creating a unique and cohesive theatrical expression.

More about the event: Arsenic and Old Lace