Vatzlav: A Play In 77 Scenes
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good , price clipped
Markings: No markings
A darkly comic masterpiece of absurdist theatre, Vatzlav: A Play in 77 Scenes chronicles the picaresque misadventures of Vatzlav, a slave who washes ashore in a strange, corrupt society and immediately sets about clawing his way to power through cunning, opportunism, and moral compromise. Written by the celebrated Polish playwright Sławomir Mrożek, the play presents a biting satirical allegory of political ambition, social hypocrisy, and the seductive nature of oppression — themes that resonate far beyond the Iron Curtain context in which it was conceived. Structured in rapid, episodic scenes, the work illustrates how the oppressed can seamlessly become the oppressor, wielding Mrożek's signature wit and theatrical economy to devastating effect. The tone is bracingly sardonic, blending Brechtian political theatre with the absurdist tradition of Ionesco and Beckett, making it essential reading for students of drama, political philosophy, and Eastern European literature alike.
Author: Slawomir Mrozek
Format: Hardback
Published: 1970, Jonathan Cape
Genre: Plays
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good , price clipped
Markings: No markings
A darkly comic masterpiece of absurdist theatre, Vatzlav: A Play in 77 Scenes chronicles the picaresque misadventures of Vatzlav, a slave who washes ashore in a strange, corrupt society and immediately sets about clawing his way to power through cunning, opportunism, and moral compromise. Written by the celebrated Polish playwright Sławomir Mrożek, the play presents a biting satirical allegory of political ambition, social hypocrisy, and the seductive nature of oppression — themes that resonate far beyond the Iron Curtain context in which it was conceived. Structured in rapid, episodic scenes, the work illustrates how the oppressed can seamlessly become the oppressor, wielding Mrożek's signature wit and theatrical economy to devastating effect. The tone is bracingly sardonic, blending Brechtian political theatre with the absurdist tradition of Ionesco and Beckett, making it essential reading for students of drama, political philosophy, and Eastern European literature alike.