THE MAN OF PAPER. AN ANTI-OPERA ON CREDIT

Costumes for a Musical, 2024

Costume design for a musical theater production addressing the housing crisis, social inequalities, and poverty concealed beneath the glitz of a spectacular gala. The production draws inspiration from Bertolt Brecht’s *The Threepenny Opera* and Andrzej Wajda’s films *Man of Marble* and *Man of Iron*.

I created costumes based on the aesthetics of stage performance, the glitz and camp of PPA, sequins, and a deliberately exaggerated elegance. Their theatricality highlights the disconnect between the show’s entertaining form and the stories of exclusion, debt, and lack of access to housing. Among the designs was, among others, a golden, baroque gown with a crinoline created for my muse, Ewa Skibińska.

Julia Wieniawa and Ralph Kaminski also performed in the four shows staged during the 44th Actor’s Song Festival. For Julia Wieniawa, I designed a costume referencing Marian iconography. Ralph Kaminski’s costume was created from a suit purchased at the Bałucki Market in Łódź, which I deconstructed, altered its form, and supplemented with hand-made drapery. The secondhand fabric was thus utilized in a stage costume that directly addressed the themes of poverty and social inequality.


The costumes were singled out by critics as one of the production’s strongest visual elements. Przemysław Gulda highlighted their versatility and sequined design, while Tomasz Miłkowski described them as ingenious creations for stage stars. The show had its world premiere during the gala of the 44th Actor’s Song Festival in Wrocław and was subsequently added to the repertoire of the Powszechny Theater in Warsaw.

Costumes: Tomasz Armada
Concept and Direction: Jakub Skrzywanek
Libretto: Piotr Grzymisławski, Jakub Skrzywanek
Song Lyrics: Jaś Kapela
Music: Karol Nepelski
Set Design and Lighting: Agata Skwarczyńska
Choreography: Agnieszka Kryst
Production: The Zygmunt Hübner Powszechny Theater in Warsaw and the Actor’s Song Festival
World premiere: March 16, 2024, Capitol Musical Theater in Wrocław
Warsaw premiere: March 23, 2024, Powszechny Theater in Warsaw.