Passing Stranger Theatre Company
BALLADINA by Juliusz Słowacki
Balladina (in translation by Professor Bill Johnston) was first performed at the Drayton Arms Theatre in Kensington, London, in November 2018 with a successful sold our run. It was the first project created under the Passing Stranger Theatre Company and a UK premiere of this Polish classic.
Balladina was written in 1834 by Juliusz Słowacki. It covers themes of crime, politics, and dark side of ambition, which can easily be interpreted as a reflection of our modern world.
It is a notable work of Polish romanticism, focusing on the issues such as thirst for power and evolution of the criminal mind. The story revolves around the rise and fall of Balladina, a fictional Slavic queen.
“Passing Stranger Theatre Company gave me the immense pleasure and privilege of seeing my rendering of Balladina brought to such wonderful life.” - Professor Bill Johnston, an award winning Polish language literary translator and Professor of comparative literature at Indiana University.
This project was supported by the Polish Cultural Institute and the Polish Radio.
DADDY ISSUES by Anna Krauze
Longlisted for the Popcorn Writing Award 2022 by Popcorn Group/BBC Writersroom.
A dark comedy one actor show about childhood trauma, sex work, immigration, imperfect feminism and life of an artist. Ot tells a story of Nat, a Polish immigrant and an aspiring painter who works on a sex line to make ends meet while dealing with the dark side of the arts industry and her own blood-stained past.
Daddy Issues debuted at the Camden Fringe Festival 2021, followed by two UK Tours 2021-2023 (Kingston-Upon-Thames, Bristol, Glasgow, Brighton, Nottingham, London, Guildford) and a month at the Pleasance Courtyard at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022.
Written and performed by Anna Krauze. Directed by Coral Tarran.
WE CAN BE HEROES by Anna Krauze
What kind of superhero are you if you fear the rain and thunder?
We Can Be Heroes is the third production by the Passing Stranger Theatre Company, a newly written play about what it means to be a superhero in the modern world. It premiered at the Camden Fringe Festival 2024 to critical acclaim.
The main character, Peanut, tells a story of their brother - a superhero scared of the rain, thunder and… everything else. So what makes a hero, really? Bravery or fear? What we run towards or what we run away from? The events that build us up or break us down? Through memories and stories of people who met their brother, Peanut unravels a painting of his life from childhood to adolescence, a point he never made it past. Maybe not all heroes are fit for the job… or maybe it is all a matter of perspective?
Written by Anna Krauze. Directed by Coral Tarran. Performed by Anna Krauze and James Georgiou.
PEOPLE WE BURY ALIVE by Anna Krauze
Burying people is hard, even harder when they’re still breathing.
People We Bury Alive is the fourth production by the award-nominated Passing Stranger Theatre Company, created with the support of the Keep it Fringe 2025 funding. Premiering at ZOO VENUES Playground - Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025. Shortlisted for the Popcorn Writing Award 2025 by the Popcorn Group / BBC Writersroom.
Rita, a Polish immigrant and mortuary worker, runs a support group for people who have been buried alive. But can she practice what she preaches? Because the thing is, she just buried her ex alive. A dark comedy with slam poetry; exploring immigration, grief and lost connections.
Written and performed by Anna Krauze. Directed by Coral Tarran.