05 and 12.03.2025

On March 5 and 12, 2025, at the “Hadi Shehu” Theater in Gjakova, 166 audience members experienced the harrowing drama Woyzeck, a powerful portrayal of violence, alienation, and human dehumanization. This co-production between the “Hadi Shehu” Theater and Artpolis presented a contemporary adaptation of Georg Büchner’s classic, adapted by playwright Jack Thorne and directed by Zana Hoxha.

In this interpretation of Woyzeck, personal tragedy expands into a broader social reflection, where losing control over one’s own life becomes an inevitable reality for the protagonist. Woyzeck is not merely an ordinary soldier or a subject of a cruel experiment; he embodies the individual crushed by a system that leaves no path to escape. The stage, designed by Grace Rumsey, creates a cold and rigid space, where Woyzeck’s inner darkness is reflected in the scenography and lighting, crafting a suffocating atmosphere that underscores his psychological turmoil.

Hoxha’s direction unveils a raw and powerful portrayal of a man lost in a world that oppresses and exploits him. Through a striking visual language, the production confronts the audience with the inescapable reality of systematic violence. Woyzeck’s voice is drowned in a society that treats him as a tool rather than a human being.

As his tragedy unfolds, the questions raised by these two performances linger long after the curtain falls: Is an individual’s fate sealed by circumstance? Can we break free from the structures that confine us? And above all, are we willing to look beyond the stage—into our own reality?

Woyzeck is more than a play; it is a powerful call for reflection on injustice and the ways our society continues to produce silent victims.

This production is a collaboration between the “Hadi Shehu” Theater and Artpolis, supported by the Municipality of Gjakova and UNFPA.