Ein wenig Leben

Based on the novel by Hanya Yanagihara

Concept and direktion: Ivo van Hove

German Premiere

Hanya Yanagihara’s acclaimed novel A Little Life became an instant classic when it was published in 2015. Her bestseller is an achingly beautiful ode to friendship that does not shy away from gazing into the abyss of human experience.

The novel follows the interweaving lives of four friends: Jude, a brilliant lawyer; Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a painter; and Malcolm, an architect, all meet during their studies in New York. Jude, who is at once enigmatic and withdrawn, serves as their centre of gravity. As the four friends struggle through adulthood, it becomes clear that Jude’s mind and body are scarred by an unspeakable childhood horror which continues to haunt him. A Little Life fathoms life in all its splendor and despair. It is a rhapsodical epic about trauma, pain and memory.

Celebrated international theatre director Ivo van Hove is a master of epic narration on stage. Together with the talented actors of Toneelgroep Amsterdam he has created a deeply moving theatrical experience that not only delivers enthralling performances and a thrilling plot, but also cuts to the quick of the human condition.