Phädra, in Flammen

by Nino Haratischwili

Directed by Nanouk Leopold
Co-production with Berliner Ensemble

World premiere

Something is rotten in the city-state of Athens. King Theseus has grown old and clings to his power; his wife Phaedra burns with longing to cast off the royal palace's rigid regulations to finally fulfill her own needs. Demophon, their firstborn, is ready as heir to the throne; he only needs to be married off. But Persea, the bride-to-be chosen by his father, causes unrest in the palace because Persea and Phaedra fall in love with each other. A scandal that according to the high priest demands a human sacrifice. The necessity of change is countered with the violence of tradition as the existing order is shaken - politically as well as privately.

With her adaptation of the ancient myth of Phaedra, Nino Haratischwili takes up questions of power politics, emancipation, and political regression - not only with regard to the political situation in Eastern Europe, but also in the context of gender relations. In Georgia, "woman on fire" is an expression for the menopause.
Director Nanouk Leopold, one of the best-known Dutch filmmakers whose films have won numerous awards at the Berlinale and Cannes, explores the contemporary connection between personal and political desire with a top-notch ensemble, led by Constanze Becker in the title role. The multi-award-winning author Nino Haratischwili, born in 1983 in Tbilisi, Georgia, explores fundamental questions in her play: Where is my place in the world? How do I want to live? Am I responsible for my own freedom? And what am I willing to sacrifice for it? She became known to a large audience through her novels "The Eighth Life (For Brilka)", "The Cat and the General," and most recently "The Lack of Light".

With: Constanze Becker (Complete cast tba.)
Direction: Nanouk Leopold
Stage Design: Elsje de Bruijn
Costume Design: Wojciech Dziedzic
Music: Donato Wharton
Video: Daan Emmen
Lighting Design: Rainer Casper
Dramaturgy: Amely Joana Haag

Age: 14+

tba