When we think of The Witcher, there are only three responses. On one hand, those who think of the original novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, who continues to create adventures for Geralt even years after finishing them. On the other hand, the fans of the video games (especially The Witcher 3, let’s not deny it) who have been waiting for the fourth installment for ten years.
And, finally, those who have known the Continent in the Netflix series, the one that started so well with Henry Cavill at the helm but has gradually degraded and will have Liam Hemsworth in its last two seasons taking on the role of the witcher. But… What about the rest of the adaptations of Sapkowski’s original work? Because yes, there are some. The question is whether anyone cares at this point.
Throw a coin to the sorcerer!
Any fan knows that before The Witcher there was Wiedźmin, a Polish film starring Michał Żebrowski that adapted the novels in its own way, just like the subsequent 13-episode series that in 2002 did not win anyone over and is now considered little more than a failure. It was one of the first Polish superproductions, trying to imitate Hollywood cinema, but it didn’t quite hit the mark and the special effects were rather laughable. In fact, it was so bad that the main screenwriter asked not to be credited because it bore no resemblance to what he had written. In short, a complete disaster.
However, it is much -much more- less known than a few years later, a Russian group that was simply a fan of the novels decided to put together, at their own risk, a symphonic rock opera in 2009 and a musical in 2011 titled The road of no return and based, indeed, on The Witcher. If you have never heard of it, to be fair, there is a reason. The group in question was called ESSE, you can listen to it in full on YouTube and it is only for the most hardcore fans. Obviously, they made up whatever they wanted, fused characters, invented that others did not die… Who was going to complain? Sapkowski?
To be fair, the story that gives the musical its name is not part of The Witcher saga: the only common point is a character, Visenna, but the Russian group did not base it on her; instead, they told an alternative story based on the title, which, it must be said, is equally epic… and forgotten in time. However, in 2017 it had a sort of late revenge that proved a musical based on The Witcher could be successful: in the city of Gdynia, near Gdansk, Poland, Wiedzmin premiered, a musical that is still being performed today and receives so many curious visitors that they even provide devices with English subtitles for fans from other countries.
This musical follows the stories of Geralt with Ciri and was approved by none other than Sapkowski, who attended the premiere and received a bouquet of flowers as a reward for creating such an incredible world. In fact, those who have seen it speak of one of the most faithful and satisfying adaptations, something that, frankly, Netflix could have learned a little bit from. It doesn’t matter how much you spend… but, after all, the love you put into it.