The Universal Empire
Mikołaj Sobczak
Performance
11 April 2025, 18:00 The event will take place in English. Free admission
Mikołaj Sobczak, The Universal Empire, illustrated by Ewa Głowacka, courtesy the artist
Mikołaj Sobczak’s musical The Universal Empire is set in a 17th-century Anabaptist commune, where poet William Blake mysteriously arrives from the 19th century. His presence disrupts the early capitalist endeavors of the commune, sparking tensions that lead to a clash with the oppressive “Universal Empire.” Together, the characters envision a social and economic utopia. Yet, emerging nation-states render such a vision unattainable. By drawing on historical events, but also fictional narratives such as legends and myths, Sobczak expands the narrative patterns of traditional, canonized and instrumentalized history.
The Universal Empire is directed and conceived by Mikołaj Sobczak with composition and lyrics by Mira Thompson, choreography by Adam Russell-Jones, script writing by Aleksander Kmak and Mikołaj Sobczak, and costume design by Samir Duratović. The performance was co-produced by ROZENSTRAAT, Amsterdam, and Jester | Flanders Arts Institute, Genk. In Berlin it is performed by Adam Russell Jones, Mira Thompson and Sara F. Tompkins, with piano accompaniment by Caleb Salgado.
Curated by Juliane Bischoff
Biography
Documentation
