"Theatre creates movement, it makes you angry, it provokes and asks unpleasant questions, while promoting freedom.“ Árpád Schilling

A world-famous composer and two fearless PR-consultants. Their ambitious plan: to enrich the tradition-conscious cultural landscape of the metropolis on the Elbe river with a new Centre for Contemporary Music. They collect money, roll the PR-drums and polish images till they shine. One of them finally wants a post and dignity, the others want recognition and to climb the greasy pole. They’d be remiss to let some old grudges and fears or a less-than-perfect record of the artist steer them off their course before the goal line.

The Hungarian director Árpád Schilling inquires whether an Eastern-European can really make it in the West. How about her responsibility toward her motherland and the people she has left behind to build a career? Is being an impeccable musician enough to lead a whole orchestra, let alone an entire institution?

Point and counterpoint: arrogance and idealism, hope and hopelessness, individualism and community, East and West – all flow into each other like rivulets making up one majestic river.

CAST

Performed by Gina Calinoiu, Moritz Dürr, Ursula Hobmair, Birte Leest, Thomas Eisen

Directed by Árpád Schilling
Written by Árpád Schilling and Mátyás Dunajcsik
Text translation by Anna Lengyel
Dramaturgy by Kerstin Behrens
Stage and costume design by Franz Dittrich
Music by Klaus von Heynedaber
Light design by Rolf Pazek
Interpreter: Sadra Rétháti
Assistant to the director: Jakub Gawlik
Production manager: Ildikó Ságodi

Read and download the PLAY in Hungarian and in German.
No unauthorized use in full, or part, is permitted without the expressed written permission of the Authors and the Translator. For further enquiries, please contact me in the 'Contact' section.

Photo: Sebastian Hoppe

PRESS

• Eberhard Spreng: "Elbfuge" - Árpád Schilling und Mátyás Dunajcsiks Stück über Musikmanager. Deutschlandfunk Kultur Heute, 17. 06. 2019.