Body Horror “Laguna” – A Performance by TR Warszawa
About the Performance
Why invent horror stories when fear surrounds us everywhere? How can we be afraid of something we know doesn’t exist? What kind of pleasure do we take in watching fictional worlds collapse before our eyes – and what does that reveal about our own sense of danger?
“Laguna” emerges from a fascination with body horror as a genre reflecting our collective anxieties about the body. It draws on our attraction to images that both captivate and repel us – those that quicken the heartbeat and send a shiver down the spine.
In “Laguna”, a stage spa becomes a place of unease: dirty water drips from the tap, lounge chairs resemble instruments of torture, and the mud that heals in sanatoriums here turns deadly – a bad omen. A total solar eclipse lasts long enough to disturb not only the laws of gravity and motion. The breakdown extends to narrative and theatrical form – dialogues and structure begin to decay. What remains is movement, and with it, the fundamental conflict of horror: the struggle between order and chaos.
“Laguna” invites the audience to experience firsthand the tension between theatrical and physical strain – and to discover what brings relief when we come together, if only for a brief moment, to be afraid.
Choreography & Direction: Paweł Sakowicz
Text & Dramaturgy: Anka Herbut
Set Design: Iza Tarasewicz
Costume Design: Milena Liebe
Sound Design: Justyna Stasiowska
Lighting Design: Jacqueline Sobiszewski
Assistant Director: Piotr Piotrowicz
Stage Managers: Wojciech Sobolewski, Alicja Zalewska
Production Manager: Aleksandra Szklarczyk
Cast
Dobromir Dymecki, Mateusz Górski, Natalia Kalita, Rafał Maćkowiak, Sebastian Pawlak, Agnieszka Żulewska
Reviews
“The performance’s trance-like rhythm can completely absorb the viewer’s attention and envelop them in an atmosphere where shocking imagery evokes the intended effects of fear, disgust, and fascination. (…) Paradoxically, it’s not a show best watched in full alertness – its power unfolds when we willingly surrender our senses, risking that someone might unexpectedly trigger our sympathetic nervous system. And it’s worth taking that risk.”
– Agata Skrzypek, Dwutygodnik
“The most striking moment is a long choreographic sequence in which the performers stand facing the audience, illuminated from behind by colorful, flickering lights. Their bodies seem possessed – each moves through an individual choreography that accelerates and slows down, only to repeat every gesture in a frenzy of relentless looping.”
– Zuzanna Piekarska, Didaskalia
About TR Warszawa:
TR Warszawa is a theatre ensemble that has, for over three decades, consistently developed a unique artistic language. The theatre has shaped generations of artists who now define Poland’s contemporary stage and its international reputation.
Productions created at TR Warszawa mark turning points in Polish theatre history and contribute to the legend of this institution, built through the work of outstanding artists who have collaborated on its stage – artists whose creative voices TR has always embraced.
The unquestionable artistic standing of TR Warszawa and its ensemble inspired the City of Warsaw to undertake one of the largest cultural investments in its history: in the coming years, a state-of-the-art theatre building will rise on Plac Defilad, becoming one of the most modern performing arts venues in Europe.
The TR ensemble has played a key role in shaping a bold, innovative theatre that searches for new forms in response to socially resonant contemporary themes. Yet from the beginning, TR Warszawa has been, above all, an artistic theatre, not one confined by current events or political commentary. This rare combination of a strong artistic identity and an engaged voice in social, political, and cultural matters defines its character and lasting influence.
31 October and 2 November 2025 | 7:00 PM | TR Warszawa Theatre | Marszałkowska 8, Warsaw
Tickets: 40 PLN for Splat!FilmFest pass holders.