School of Seduction

A true story. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a Russian celebrity and ‘seduction guru’ arrives in Warsaw to lead a course on ‘the art of picking up’ women. He singles out Ukrainian and Belarusian women travelling alone – particularly those who have fled their countries – as easy prey. What is called seduction is, in truth, conquest, subjugation and appropriation. What the self-proclaimed guru doesn’t know is that one of his course participants is the actor in this evening’s theatre production.
With him, we delve into the world of the Manosphere, the incels, oligarchs and influencers from the Russian internet. We accompany him and the director, Magda Szpecht, on a night-time foray through Russian clubs in Warsaw and learn more about the links to the Kremlin, the fusion of patriarchy and imperialism, and the seduction strategies of modern ‘alpha males’ and far-right ideologues.
School of Seduction is a mockumentary and an investigative theatre production that blends theatrical and cinematic genres. The young Polish director Magda Szpecht has been using digital activism to combat disinformation and Russian propaganda since the start of Russia’s war of aggression.