During the 18th edition of the Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival in Kraków – one of the most important theatre events in Europe – the jury verdict of the Inferno Competition was announced. The competition presents the most talked-about, boldest and most significant Polish theatre productions of the past season. Organised since 2008 by Teatr Łaźnia Nowa in cooperation with the City of Kraków, the festival brings together outstanding artists, critics and curators from around the world, as well as a loyal audience of several thousand spectators.

This year, the international jury – representing theatre institutions and festivals from Taiwan, Germany, the United States, Mexico and Estonia – awarded five acting prizes, three artistic prizes, and the Grand Prix for the best production. All laureates will receive the Divine Comedian statuette, the festival’s distinctive symbol and a three-dimensional interpretation of its logo.

Acting Prizes

Aleksandra Bernatek (Silesian Theatre in Katowice)
Awarded for creating a powerful portrait of a character who combines difficult personal experiences with a sense of responsibility for the community, carrying a strong political message. Prize for the role of Luiza in The Weavers.

Grażyna Bułka (Silesian Theatre in Katowice)
Honoured for a performance that fluidly moves between extreme emotional states – from misery and despair to warmth and hope, offered in defiance of social and political realities. Prize for the role of Mother Baumert in The Weavers.

Marcin Gaweł (Silesian Theatre in Katowice)
Recognised for a multidimensional portrayal of a man combining grotesque elements, brutal force, the ruthlessness of a mobster and childlike innocence. Prize for the role of Anton Ansorge in The Weavers.

Martyna Krzysztofik (Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Kraków)
Awarded for a bold and hypnotic interpretation of a monologue confined entirely to the space of a bed – for crossing expressive boundaries and breathing life into the stream of consciousness of Molly Bloom. Prize for her performance in Ulysses.

Grzegorz Mielczarek (National Stary Theatre in Kraków)
Honoured for a virtuosic, nuanced portrayal of a cynical manipulator who relentlessly plays on the emotions of the audience. Prize for his performance in Attack on the National Stary Theatre. Birth of a Nation.

Artistic Prizes

For creating an original and coherent artistic form that fuses sound, image and light in the production Yesterday You Were Angry in Green (Teatr Dramatyczny in Warsaw), the jury awarded three individual prizes:
Marek Braun – for set design,
Wojciech Kapela – for lighting and video art,
Jacek Wierzchowski – for music.

Grand Prix

The festival’s highest distinction – the Grand Prix of the Divine Comedy Festival – was awarded to The Weavers, directed by Maja Kleczewska and produced by the Silesian Theatre in Katowice. In its verdict, the jury emphasised that The Weavers is a furious and total theatre experience – engaging all the senses, redefining naturalism and reaching beyond rational perception. A performance that strikes with helplessness while simultaneously inspiring rebellion.

The Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival has been organised continuously since 2008 by Teatr Łaźnia Nowa, a cultural institution of the City of Kraków. The festival is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. Institutional partners include the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Polish-German Cooperation Foundation, with the City of Kraków as the main funding body. The operational partner of the festival is the Polish Tourism Organisation.

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Photo by Artur Rakowski