Piotr Gliński’s move seen by civil liberties groups as a sign country is poised for a return to draconian state censorship

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Poland’s new culture minister wants to ban a production by one of the country’s leading theatre companies of a play by a Nobel prize-winning author, claiming public money must not be used to subsidise “pornography”.

The move by Piotr Gliński, who is also deputy prime minister in the new conservative Law & Justice government, is seen by civil liberties groups as a sign that Poland is poised for a return to draconian state censorship.

In a letter to the governor of Lower Silesia on the eve of the premiere of Der Tod und das Mädchen (Princess Dramas: Death and the Maiden) by Elfriede Jelinek, Gliński called for the cancellation of the play. The venue, the Polski theatre, was publicly funded, he argued, and “we are dealing with pornography in its full and literal meaning”.

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“The Ministry of Culture expects that you order the immediate suspension of the production,” he wrote. But the governor, Cezary Przybylski, told Polish television that “we do not interfere with artistic expression’’, and the show went ahead in the western city of Wrocław.

Following the first night on Saturday, 12 people were arrested after skinheads from the National Resurrection of Poland movement clashed with theatregoers.

On Sunday, the home of the theatre’s artistic director was pelted with eggs and tomatoes. “These are dark days for Poland, reminiscent of Nazi and Soviet oppression,” the Polski theatre’s literary manager, Piotr Rudzki, told the Guardian.

“A move like this, in a country with Poland’s history, is intended to remind us of the years leading up to 1989 when all productions had to be passed by the state censor.”

Polski theatre’s website describes the play, directed by Ewelina Marciniak, as an “exploration of the relationship between torturer and victim”, saying it was “suitable for very adult audiences”.

Rudzki said: “The opening scene features Czech porn actors Rossy and Tim. Under strobe lighting, they simulate foreplay. The scene is intended to startle the audience in the same way as when you come across your parents having sex.”

He said the play was sold out and there were no plans to cancel it. But he added that the Polski theatre received half its annual funding – 5m złotys (£830,000) – from the culture ministry.

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“We fear financial censorship now. There could also be ramifications for freedom of expression. The government has an absolute majority in parliament and the potential to change the constitution. Our theatre is not about diverting people. Our company wants to make people think. We are not that attractive to private sponsors,” said Rudzki.

Within a week of being sworn in this month, the Law & Justice government has sacked Poland’s intelligence chiefs and passed a legal amendment that could allow political control of the constitutional court.

The Polish Ministry of Culture and the governor of Lower Silesia did not respond to the Guardian’s requests for interviews.



