Schauspielhaus Graz

The father as the first and last instance of life

Impressive stage design (by Franziska Bornkamm) for "Kafka/Heimkehr" in the showroom of Schauspielhaus Graz

(Bild: Lex Karelly)

A collage of texts in which Franz Kafka works through his father is brought to the stage by Schauspielhaus Graz. For the first time, artistic director Andrea Vilter is (co-)directing "Kafka/Heimkehr" herself.

How liberating it must have been for Franz Kafka when he discovered writing. Finally an escape from the difficult relationship with his domineering father, which not only defined his childhood and youth, but also extended far into his adult life. At night, sitting at his desk, he was able to escape his father by writing.

But he soon came to the bitter realization that writing did not set him free, as he recorded in his legendary letter to his father: "All my writing was about you, I only complained there about what I could not complain about in your bosom." The father was the first instance and will remain the last.

Literary work on the father figure
With "Kafka / Homecoming", director Andrea Vilter and her co-director Jan Philipp Gloger have turned this lamentation, this literary reworking of the father figure, into an exciting evening of theater. They have divided the struggle between three sons - the three actors (Tim Breyvogel, Zeljko Marovic and Anna Rausch) interlock just as well as the chairs, which are stacked in a large arch up to the ceiling as an imposing stage set (Franziska Bornkamm), right up to the door to the father's room.

Franz Solar (left) looks down on his sons

(Bild: Lex Karelly)

Franz Solar digs himself into this father figure with great gusto and looks down on his sons from above, shining the spotlight on their faults and shortcomings before descending to them - and yet remaining elevated above them. The sons fail to understand him - and so they are also denied the ultimate understanding of the world.

This evening not only impressively brings one of the most legendary father-son relationships in literary history to the stage, but also cleverly and cunningly approaches the emotional core of Kafka's work.