Basilitrix: A Family Folk Rock Musical

In the city of Warsaw, there is a monstrous myth. For hundreds of years generations have told of the terrifying Basilisk, whose gaze would petrify those who dared to encounter it and transform them into stone. With more treasure than you could imagine, many would dare enter the underground domain of the Basilisk, but none would ever return. The Warsaw Basilisk is one of the more well-known stories of Polish folklore and, despite being centuries old, it is still inspiring new stories today. Ida Wrona’s Basilitrix brings the story to the UK and transforms the tale into a self-described “family folk musical” for a limited time Upstairs at the Gatehouse.

When her sister goes missing, Hanna is set on a quest to save her and vanquish the Basilisk from the village once and for all. Instead of the fight and the fear, Ida Wrona’s adaptation chooses to focus on family, curiosity and judgement, as told through the eyes of the ratty residents of the town. This works really strongly for the story’s benefit, providing a narrative sub-story that is enjoyable to watch. By showing these themes instead of an action-packed quest, the story is able to explore them with a comfortable approach rather than shoehorning in a last-minute fable. Wrona’s book is steady, with trinkets of humour sprinkled throughout and a strong message of morals that makes it incredibly suitable for its target audience of families of all ages. While the tale comes from traditional folklore, Wrona has still managed to craft a new story that feels charmingly cosy and sits nicely among a host of different interpretations of the tale.

Supporting the book is a folky-style score crafted through a collaborative effort by Ida Wrona, Michał Grodzki, Ania Drewniok and Anita Zawadzka. After a single song was created for a competition in 2022, the team kept building and over time have crafted a score that can go from haunting to humorous. The fact that the songs have a tale of their own about how they came to be is an enchanting reflection of this production’s strong belief in the magic and wonder of stories. Furthermore, these songs are given an injection of energy with orchestrations courtesy of Drewniok, whose use of a band armed with rock instruments gives the score an identity that is uniquely Basilitrix.