2023-10-14 04:11:25
Humanity is looking for a new, livable habitat somewhere in space and has sent out hundreds of heart-shaped spaceships, driven by love and hope, because “the heart of humanity will never stop beating.” This is the starting point of Emre Akal’s Austrian premiere of Elfriede Jelinek’s “Sonne / Luft” at the Schauspielhaus Graz, announced via a futuristic clip. An evening as an adventure trip into space.
Jelinek’s 20-page stage essay was premiered by Nicolas Stemann at the Schauspielhaus Zurich in December and has since been considered her “climate piece”. However, that is less than half the truth, because the Nobel Prize winner – admittedly due to current circumstances – focuses more on natural phenomena than on man-made catastrophes, and combative sentences such as “No wonder that the earth desperately wanted to warm up – even if not for us.” , are rather in short supply. This is also the strength and weakness of Akal’s spacey concept, in which the spaceship Jelinek switches to “author-pilot” (“Don’t worry, the author-pilot already knows where it’s going,” it says in the text).
Because the trick of letting the reflections written from the perspective of the sun goddess speak from the off (“Voice: Anna Rausch & KI”, reveals the evening bulletin) while the little people relax to Nana Mouskouri’s annoying wake-up song “Good Morning Sunshine”. Indulging in all sorts of silent, pointless pastimes works, but it doesn’t lead anywhere. Of all things, in the constantly rotating spaceship, whose heart-shaped front window constantly glides past huge chunks of rock (big extra praise for the set design and video animations by Mehmet & Kazim!), there is a standstill in terms of action. The enigmatic actions that they carry out in ever new variations are, to a large extent, full of social and consumer criticism, but they have little to do with the text – and soon tell us nothing new.
After an hour, the director hits the brakes hard and lets everyone take a deep breath – so that the air itself has its say. The seven actors freeze in various contortions in the hot dog canteen of the spaceship and speak themselves for the first time – of course not in different roles, but only as mouthpieces in the airspace. Still a welcome change before the machines are started once more and we head straight towards the sun. This is getting closer and closer.
The saying “The sun is smiling” becomes a nasty threat. One inevitably thinks of Lars von Trier’s end-of-the-world film “Melancholia” and its magnificent final images. Emre Akal forgoes the final crash and delivers a pointless blackout following 105 minutes. It’s a shame – but still a worthy end to steirischer herbst, which was appropriately acclaimed at the premiere on Friday. By the way, the sun will soon rise once more at the theater: Next Friday, Doris Uhlich’s choreography “Sonne” will have its premiere in the Festspielhaus St. Pölten.
(SERVICE – “Sonne / Luft” by Elfriede Jelinek, Austrian premiere at Schauspielhaus Graz In cooperation with steirischer herbst. Director: Emre Akal, set design & video animation: Mehmet & Kazim, costumes and collaboration on stage: Lara Roßwag, music: EnikL With: Tim Breyvogel, Thomas Kramer, Luiza Monteiro, Anna Rausch, Sebastian Schindegger, Anke Stedingk, Mervan Ürkmez. Next performances: October 17th, 18th, 20th, 28th, https://schauspielhaus-graz.buehnen-graz.com/)
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