The role of literature in musical theatre: Rethinking local identities via a global genre in The Peasants

Abstract

Musical theatre, from its beginnings, crosses artistic and literary boundaries, transforming novels (and other genres) into an experience that is a synthesis of the arts. The first part of the article explores how musicals reinterpret literary narratives, merging text, music, and movement to expand the possibilities of self-expression. The main part focuses on The Peasants (Chłopi), a musical adaptation directed by Wojciech Kościelniak (Gdynia, 2013), based on Władysław Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning novel. Through a comparative analysis I examine how Kościelniak reimagines a rural, turn-of-the-century Polish narrative in the language of a global genre, musical theatre. This adaptation illustrates how the musical form transforms the themes and emotional registers of the novel, offering new interpretations while maintaining deep ties to its literary origins. As part of a wider trend of literary adaptations in Polish musical theatre The Peasants is an example of revitalising both tradition and universal storytelling.