
Powrót wikingów [The Return of the Vikings] is a collaboration project created by Dorota Abbe, an actress from Teatr Nowy w Poznaniu, and Centre No. 1 for the Homeless in Szczepankowo, a district on the outskirts of Poznań. The text was written by Zuzanna Fichtner, a social worker from the centre, and the show’s participants. “I came to Szczepankowo, saw a rehearsal, and just had to stay with them,” said Dorota Abbe before the première. “They charmed me with their authenticity and enthusiasm,” she added. “I have been working with amateurs (secondary school and university students) for many years, but this was the first time I encountered such a determined, open, brave and hardworking group.”
The point of departure for the show was the need to convince the residents of Poznań about the necessity of creating a warming centre for homeless people in the city. The funds have been secured, but the residents’ protests make it impossible to find a suitable location. The show tells about the various causes of homelessness and about how hard it is to recover from it. The homeless people taking part in the performance show the audience that they are not a lesser category of people, as they are often perceived. They talk not only about what they have experienced, but also about their dreams and plans.