Absurd Hero

Clear the ring for a battle of man against object: a modern Sisyphus toils away at a large red ball, but it remains unimpressed. "Absurd Hero" is the name of the solo by and with Roman Škadra, in which elements of contemporary circus are combined with absurd theater. With his work, the juggler turns the circus discipline of ball running on its head. He uses acrobatics and object manipulation, wrestling and weightlifting to work with the object. Divided into different scenarios that can only ever succeed in failure, his absurdity is reminiscent of Buster Keaton. Besides its comical moments, the performance displays a touching humanity. Instead of inspiring the audience with artistic skills alone, Škadra uses circus elements as a language to bring his anti-hero to life. Announced back in 2021, "Absurd Hero" is finally getting a Ruhrfestspiele premiere in the festival tent.

The production is selected and supported by Zirkus ON, the creative alliance for circus arts in and from Germany. Ruhrfestspiele are a partner and jury member of Zirkus ON.