Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue

Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue, is a multicultural, multidisciplinary, slyly political and highly creative performance piece about chickens and human migration.

The work explores themes of heroism and displacement, drawing on Slavic folk traditions. Grandmother Babcia and her hen Kazia are in quest of the truth about our hero Konstantin, the loudest rooster in Poland. Where did he come from - and where is he now when we need him? Based around an original song cycle by Alison Richards and Nela Trifković, the show features a live performance ensemble of eight with music, puppetry, storytelling, and digital animation. This dark and funny work reveals the hidden intertwined histories of chickens and people through the ages, challenging us to stay hopeful through disaster and uncertainty.

Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue is the third stage of The Konstantin Projekt. The project began pre-pandemic with workshops on chicken history, puppetry and animation and continued to develop throughout lockdown. A live concert in 2022, now a full musical theatre experience with a dynamic crew from diverse cultural backgrounds and creative disciplines.