INFORMATION PORTAL OF THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE OF THE KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE Region IN TORUŃ

After several months of preparations, two electrifying premieres will take place on Saturday (28 February) at the Toruń-based Teatr im. Wilama Horzycy and the Bydgoszcz-based Opera Nova: a ballet adaptation of the classic American musical “An American in Paris” and the culinary play “On the Edge of the Knife.

Gershwin at the Opera

The ballet performance, choreographed by Krzysztof Pastor – who also wrote the libretto – is based on the famous musical featuring music by George Gershwin.

“It is, of course, a story about love, but also about the conflict between gratitude and true affection. Above all, however, it is about Gershwin’s music itself – full of warmth, lightness and a touch of melancholy – which is not very often illustrated through dance. I would like the audience to experience a moment of reflection in the theatre, but also relaxation,” says Krzysztof Pastor.

The staging and choreographic concept were created especially for Opera Nova. For the purposes of the ballet production, Gershwin’s music was arranged by Przemysław Zych. The dancers will appear in 1950s-inspired costumes designed by Emil Wysocki.

Further performances of “An American in Paris” will take place on 1, 2 and 3 March.

Cooking on Stage

The play “On the Edge of the Knife,” directed by Piotr Ratajczak, takes the audience into the whirlwind of a restaurant kitchen, a space that brings together human relationships: conflicts, professional hierarchies and emotions. The play, written by Joanna Kowalska, is inspired by The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker.

“We are not telling a story only about a kitchen, but about the world and about Poland. I like situations where a closed community becomes a broader metaphor for what is happening in our society. I thought that life in a kitchen today, also in Poland, could serve as a lens through which we examine various tensions – between employees, as well as political, migration-related and social tensions,” said director Piotr Ratajczak.

In preparation for the performance, the actors underwent special training at one of Toruń’s restaurants, and the kitchen and ingredients used on stage are real. During the performance, the cast will prepare actual dishes.

“On the Edge of the Knife” will premiere on the main stage.

The regional self-government runs 17 cultural institutions offering a wide and diverse programme.

• Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz
• Gallery and Centre for Children’s Artistic Creation in Toruń
• Wozownia Art Gallery in Toruń
• Museum of Archaeology in Biskupin
• Prof. Maria Znamierowska-Prüfferowa Ethnographic Museum in Toruń
• Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Lands in Włocławek
• NOVA’ Opera House in Bydgoszcz
• Chopin Centre in Szafarnia
• Lubostroń Palace in Lubostron
• Wilam Horzyca Theatre in Toruń
• Regional Public Library and Copernicus Library in Toruń
• Dr. Witold Bełza Regional and Municipal Public Library in Bydgoszcz
• Regional Centre for Cultural Animation in Toruń
• Kujawsko-Pomorskie Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz
• Kujawsko-Pomorski Musical Theatre in Toruń
• Kujawsko-Pomorskie Heritage Center in Toruń
• Kujawsko-Pomorskie Centre for Education and Innovation in Toruń

Press Office of the Marshal’s Office

27 February 2027