Immaculata

Immaculata was inspired by the novel The Testament of Mary by the Irish writer Colm Tóibín, which over a decade ago captured the imagination of Tomaž Pandur, one of Slovenia’s most prominent directors. The dramatisation and adaptation of the text represent the last joint project of siblings Tomaž, known for his visually lavish and poetic theatre, and Livija Pandur, dramaturge and director, who completed the work and dedicated it to her brother following his premature death in 2016. Tóibín’s story follows an ageing Mary, who refuses to accept that her son is the true Messiah. With remarkable psychological insight, the text reveals the intimate world of a mother caught between pain, doubt and the weight of history that silences her voice. As Livija Pandur puts it, “the altar is where we kneel”, and Immaculata becomes “an altar of love, loss, solitude and search for meaning in wounds that nothing can heal”. The part of Mary is played by Nataša Matjašec Rošker, a member of the SNG Maribor Drama company, whose profoundly moving performance in the role has not gone unnoticed – it won her the Adelaide Ristori Prize in 2021. The play has been performed in various parts of the world and remains one of the most intimate and emotionally powerful achievements of contemporary Slovene theatre.