Schauspielhaus Graz

A big stage for political scandals

The stage (Heike Monschein) is reminiscent of Austria: it's just a scaffolding for the actors to play on.

(Bild: Lex Karelly)

The Austrian author and playwright Thomas Köck has spent a year writing a book about the political escalations in Austria: the theaters in Graz and Vienna are now bringing the explosive text to the stage in a collaboration with steirischer herbst. The premiere was on Sunday in Graz.

"Society is showing its hideous face again, but nobody is looking," states Thomas Köck in his "Chronicle of ongoing derailments". So he lays all the cards on the table in his text: for a year, he meticulously documented the political scandals and misconduct in Austria: From the dilemma at the SPÖ count to the Signa bankruptcy and Nehammer's Burger saga to the countless right-wing "slips" in the FPÖ camp. "Everything will be ignited by language," writes Köck and launches a verbal anti-firework, which is now being staged as a cooperation between the Graz and Vienna theaters and steirischer herbst.

The many faces of frustration and helplessness
Marie Bues has adapted the trenchant and painful text, which is somewhere between sociological analysis à la Didier Eribon and literary dissection à la Elfriede Jelinek (and yes, it can certainly keep up with the reference values), for the stage. She divides the text between six actors (great: Tala Al-Deen, Otiti Engelhardt, Kaspar Locher, Sophia Löffler, Karola Niederhuber and Mervan Ürkmez) and thus gives the frustration and helplessness of the text many faces and facets (costumes: Amit Epstein).

(Bild: Lex Karelly)

The squirming under the strain of the Austrian, which is played out with painful relish, is also evident in the contortions (choreography: Mason Manning) of the performers. The stage (Heike Monschein) is reminiscent of Austria: it is merely a scaffolding for the performers to play on. And Lila-Zoe Krauß as the stage musician provides the shrill, menacing soundscape that we heard 100 years ago under different circumstances.

At the end, the performers stand at the edge of the stage and ask the audience a question: "Does anyone else want to say anything?" It remains rhetorical - at least at the premiere. Because when the play is next performed at the Schauspielhaus in Graz on October 4, the Austrian world could look very different. But after this evening, at least no one can claim that they didn't know anything. Because all the cards are on the table - and have been for far too long!

To be seen at Schauspielhaus Graz (until December 17) 
and from September 26 also at Schauspielhaus Wien (until November 16)