A Time to Reap

From a forested Polish village to the blinding lights of London, A Time to Reap looks at one woman’s story against the mountain landscape of an evolving nation and one of Poland’s hottest political topics – abortion and the Catholic Church.

Anna Wakulik is an exciting new Polish voice with a crop of political provocations.

Anna Wakulik currently works as a literary manager for Tarnowski Teatr im. L. Solskiego in Tarnow, where she is writing a new play called Heroes, She was a semi-finalist and finalist of the Gdynia Drama Award. Her play Krzywy Domek was one of the final five shortlisted plays and was presented in a public rehearsed reading during the Festival of Contemporary Polish Drama R@PORT in Gdynia in November 2010. Other works include: Sans Souci (2009, finalists 2009 Metaphors of Reality contest) and Zażynki (2012, winner of the Journalists’ Prize) at Teatr Polski in Poznan; Helzbieta H. at National Wybrzeze Theatre in Gdansk. The polish version of A Time to Reap will be performed in Poznan in November 2012.

Anna attended the Royal Court Theatre’s 2011 International Residency for Emerging Playwrights. She came to London to work on her play, A Time To Reap, in July of that year and was invited back in March 2012 to work with director Caroline Steinbeis to develop the play further.

Translator Catherine Grosvenor’s performed plays include One Day All This Will Come To Nothing (Traverse), Cherry Blossom (Traverse/Polski Teatr Bydgoszcz, 2008) and Gabriel (Oran Mor 2009). She also wrote the Scottish adaptations of Continuous Growth, which won a Fringe First at the 2012 Fringe, and The Overcoat.

International Associate Caroline Steinbeis directs. Her other directing credits include Earthquakes in London (UK Tour for Headlong Theatre), Fatherland (Gate Theatre), Charged/Re-Charged (Soho Theatre), Mad Forest at BAC, Mile End (UK Tour), Photo Story (BAC). Her opera work includes: Cosi Fan Tutte (Sadler’s Wells, Bridgewater Hall, Ascoli Festival). Caroline is founder of Strike Ensemble.

Since 1996 the Royal Court Theatre has travelled the world, running long-term play development projects and building relationships between playwrights, directors, actors and translators. Working with playwrights and theatre artists in 70 countries and in 30 languages, the work is supported by the Genesis Foundation and the British Council.

A Time to Reap is presented as part of International Playwrights: A Genesis Foundation Project.

Age Guidance 14+

Running Time: Approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes without an interval

Reviews

4 stars THE TELEGRAPH BY CHARLES SPENCER, 28 FEBRUARY 2013

“A lively and inventive drama that takes religion and morality seriously.”

“Its ability to mix humour and pain, religion and confused modern morality strikes me as admirable.”

“Excellently performed… Sinéad Matthews, an actress with a catch in her voice and a rare ability to go straight to an audience’s heart, proves deeply touching as Marysia.”

“Owen Teale powerfully captures both the passion and the growing darkness and jealousy of Jan.”

“Max Bennett brings a thrilling sense of danger” 4 stars THE INDEPENDENT BY PAUL TAYLOR, 1 MARCH 2013

“[An] extraordinary three-hander”

“Caroline Steinbeis… does a superb job of releasing and focusing the play’s fierce, off-the-wall energies.”

“Sharply ambivalent and provocative”

“Owen Teale beautifully builds up a growing sense of inner rot and darkness.”

“Max Bennett is brilliantly driven and dangerous.”

“Sinead Matthews sheds skin after skin in a heartbreaking and astonishingly layered performance.”

“Resoundingly recommended.”

TIME OUT BY ANDREJ LUKOWSKI, 28 FEBRUARY 2013

“A witty, intense pressure-cooker drama.”

“All three actors give it their considerable all and Caroline Steinbeis’s production blasts by with hip, feverish gusto.”

THE TIMES BY DOMINIC MAXWELL, 1 MARCH

“Caroline Steinbeis’s fluid, superbly acted production puts the show’s love, lust and life-and-death decisions in a world of smells and bells from the off.”

“Catherine Grosvenor’s translation hits just the perfect, pithy tone.”

“Sharp and engaging.”

“Sinéad Matthews is exceptional as Marysia.”

WHAT’S ON STAGE BY THEO BOSANQUET, 28 FEBRUARY 2013

“An intriguing contemporary parable from the other side of the continent, punctuated by sharp humour – including the best Jesus joke I’ve heard in a while.”