Jan Englert is not only an experienced and respected actor, but also the artistic director of the National Theater. He has held this position since 2003. Englert decided to celebrate his many years of work for the theater by staging his version of William Shakespeare's “Hamlet”. He cast his wife in the play Beata Ścibakównabut also a daughter Helena Englert. This caused a real storm among Internet users. There were accusations of nepotism.
Jan Englert under fire after casting his daughter in the play. A telling reaction
The premiere of the show directed by Jan Englert is scheduled for early April. Hugo Tarres is to play the role of Hamlet. Ophelia will be played by Helena Englert. Englert's wife will play Gertrude. Ścibakówna herself has been associated with the National Theater since 1997, but Helena Englert's involvement outraged Internet users. They accuse the actor of nepotism and emphasize that such actions are unbecoming of a cultural institution. “Family Theater”, “The father directs, the daughter plays Ophelia. Of course, there is more mother“, “Extreme nepotism is not befitting of such an institution. This is simply a lack of sensitivity and honesty. The place of 'family performances' is in the space of private theaters. Well, there remains a great disgust,” we read in the comments on the National Theater's Facebook profile.
Jan Englert was asked by the editorial team of “Fakt” to comment on the whole situation. However, the director of the National Theater was not very effusive. – If you want to ask about… cauldron around the National Theater and my family, I do not get involved in any such matters. I am not giving any answers and I will not comment, he said. Beata Ścibakówna also did not want to talk about this topic.
READ MORE: Internet users were furious with Jan Englert. They accuse him of nepotism
Englert stages “Hamlet” at the National Theater. There's a storm on the internet
On the website of the National Theater we can read that Jan Englert intends to summarize his many years of work for the theater with the new version of “Hamlet”. “Jan Englert crowns twenty-eight seasons of his artistic work at the National Theater with a performance of “Hamlet” – an arch-drama that he has faced several times over the last half-century, both as an actor and as a director,” we read.