Characters

The parrot
The crow
Location: A cage

Original version in German. For ages 5 and up.

ACTION

The play received the first prize of the Polish Children's and Youth Theatre Association in 2009, premiered in Chorzów/Katowice in 2010 and continues to be performed with great success at many theatres in Poland and also in German-speaking countries – for example, it was staged as a musical at the Teatr Roma in Warsaw in 2011, where it has delighted audiences in over two hundred and fifty performances to date.

Adonis, the vain, self-satisfied parrot, knows only his cage and the people who bring him food – whom he calls his servants.

He calls himself king and the cage is his "kingdom".

His days are filled with training and subsequent grooming in preparation for his performances: as soon as the "servants" appear, he chatters, sings, and dances, and receives applause and food as the highlight of each day. One morning, however, "Kohle," the crow, is pushed into his cage.

Right outside the window, Kohle had a collision with a car and was placed in the cage by the parrot's owner to recover.

Adonis is outraged!

What does this ugly black blob, which also speaks to him in a horribly croaking voice, want in his palace?! Coal, on the other hand, doesn't know what's happening to him and comes to the conclusion that he must be dealing with a crazy splash of paint.

The conflict escalates – the imaginary beauty against the supposedly ugly one – the vain, spoiled palace resident against the wily street guy.

Gradually, however, Adonis must realize that his palace is a prison, that the world outside is the real one, and that his wings are not just for decoration.

Conflict can also create closeness in captivity – and this happens to the two antagonists here as well. Although they resist it, after exhausting battles they become something like friends; and the closer the two get, the stronger Adonis's desire for the world outside the window becomes.

The two join forces and, in true crook fashion, plan an escape. And indeed – they manage to outsmart their prison guards: Together they fly into a dangerous freedom.

REVIEWS

A delightful piece – this duel between two birds in a cage. A good choice for parents who are looking for more than just the next premiere of "Cinderella" at the theater for their children.
(Hubert Michalak - Nowa Siła Krytyczna)

The clash of Adonis' and Kohle's different attitudes, opinions, and life experiences leads to hilarious situations that delight the audience.

But like any good comedy, this play also contains an important message: Don't judge others too quickly; there's nothing more important in life than courage, freedom, and friendship. Rest assured, adults have nothing to lose by watching this clever comedy.
(Grażyna Korzeniowska - AICT - IATC - International Association of Theater Critics)

It is worth coming to the Teatr Kameralny in Bydgoszcz to see the smiles on the children's faces, and also for the final scene, which concludes the entire performance like a torpedo.

For if there is a way to bring a smile back to children's faces after months of isolation, if theatre has the power to bring them back to the life they led before the pandemic, then the performance "Adonis Gets a Visitor" by Fred Apke, directed by Jakub Szydłowski, is such a way and should be prescribed.
(Ilona Słojewska, Dziennik Teatralny)