A person wants to be happy. And it is good when everything is certain – the goal, the path, life. But what happens when this certainty disappears or is put to the test? Sławomir Mrożek’s absurdist comedy “Striptease” places two people in a situation where the familiar world suddenly crumbles and no one explains why. How do you behave when everything you believed in is questioned? Do you attack, surrender or play along?

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The play examines how a person reacts to pressure – be it political, social or personal. It talks about fear, compromises and, in all of this, the incessant self-justification. The decisions that the characters make on stage are recognizably human – and perhaps familiar to us too. “Striptease” intertwines absurdity and humor, existential anxiety and playfulness.

When the play makes you laugh, you are okay again for a while. If the story is dark, there is still hope to be found. And if it seems strange – is that what was intended?

The production will be performed in two casts and in two versions, each with a different approach and style of acting.

“Striptease” is based on the short play of the same name written by Polish writer Sławomir Mrożek (1930-2013) in 1961. Mrożek’s plays “Karol” and “Ulgumerel” also date from the same year. The latter was a hit at the Tartu Student Theatre in 2011-2012, directed by Kalev Kudu.