Small Narration

Wojtek Ziemilski and his family recently discovered that his grand-father—a prominent Polish cultural figure—collaborated with the Soviet Security services. The discovery prompted a searching look at his relationship with his grand-father, and Small Narration is the result of this exploration. Part-autobiographical monologue, part-philosophical treatise, its subject matter is potentially riveting but the play is let down by its deliberately distant and ultimately alienating format.

Ziemilski presents us with a lecture of sorts, composed of slides featuring a smattering of words and quotes. To that end, the venue—the old Anatomy Theatre at Summerhall, a former university veterinary college—feels completely apt. He delivers his talk in an intentionally robotic voice that implicitly questions received narratives. He’s not only trying to re-negotiate his relationship with his dead grand-father, but Poland’s own history of itself. But while his distanced format is artistically interesting, it doesn’t make arresting theatre. Aside from his initial greeting and bow at the end of the performance, Ziemilski barely looks up from the lecturn off which he reads his script. This lack of eye contact sucks the charisma out of the performance and, without eye contact, the restless audience’s attention wanders easily.

Still, Ziemilski’s idea is appealing and his inquiry an important one, but it needs a more arresting delivery to really capture the imagination of Fringe audiences.