Going for gold

There’s gold out there. The search for lost masterpieces beguiles many a theatrical impresario but with it comes the danger that the thrill of the chase may convert a spirit of honest exploration into an obtuse reverence for the quarry.

There’s gold out there. The search for lost masterpieces beguiles many a theatrical impresario but with it comes the danger that the thrill of the chase may convert a spirit of honest exploration into an obtuse reverence for the quarry. The huntsman starts to believe that neglect proves excellence. Sturdy Beggars, an independent troupe who accept no public subsidy, are mounting a season of ‘forgotten gems’ from Eastern Europe.

The first stone they’ve uncovered is an anti-royal satire written in 1938 by Witold Gombrowicz, a Polish boulevardier who never quite made it out of the C-list of mittel-European wannabes. He gives his story the muscular and daring contours of a fairy tale.