Theatre critic Ina Bozhidarova on ‘The Ploughman and Death’, ‘Mother Courage’ and ‘As You Like It’ from the festival programme.

The three performances I saw so far, powerfully resonate with the topic of the festival’s discussion this year on the projections of the tragic in contemporary theatre. I was particularly struck by The Ploughman and Death and Mother Courage — two productions that explore the tragic in very different ways.

It was fascinating to witness how in The Ploughman and Death Romanian director Silviu Purcărete interprets a medieval text and transforms it into a contemporary stage experience that truly touches the audience. Medieval drama rarely appears on stage, and here it was presented with visual magic and depth. Although the text remains grounded in its time, the staging felt modern. I was especially impressed by how the internal struggle of the character was visualized—the pain of loss, the encounter with death, the resistance, and the blurring of memory with reality. Purcărete translated this conflict as an inner monologue of the protagonist—a beautiful and impactful decision.

In the performance of Mother Courage by Brecht, we are placed into a different context—closer to our own—and the tragic is portrayed in another way. Here, we don’t see classical tragedy but rather a bitter, almost cynical depiction of human nature and a world where life often loses its value. War serves as both a backdrop and a means of profit. Albena Pavlova, in the role of Mother Courage, leads the performance with exceptional power. What stayed with me is how a tragic story of loss and death can be told as a dark comedy—with biting irony and a pain that lies beneath the surface. Director Stoyan Radev has managed to show how people lose their sense of morality and values, how they conform to authority without realizing the consequences. The performance doesn’t overwhelm the audience with tragedy but rather provokes reflection through distance and irony.

All three productions engage in an active dialogue with the idea of the tragic, exploring it across different eras and theatrical approaches. They transform texts—whether from the Middle Ages, Brecht’s time, or Shakespeare—into vivid, contemporary experiences that compel us to reflect on their pain, absurdity, and hope.

And As You Like It directed by Gábor Tompa, based on Shakespeare, was like a light comedy about life—about people who live, lose, and love. It conveys a strong belief in love and play as a refuge from harsh reality. The contrast between the cold, violent world of the court and the freedom of the Forest of Arden delivers a powerful message. There, in the forest, theatre, love, and humanity are born. And even though Jacques’s monologue reminds us of the inevitability of human fate, the production stays true to the idea that love can save us.

Jacqueline Dobreva worked on the material