Blackwater

(Schwarzwasser)
Photo: Tommy Hetzel
by Elfriede Jelinek
compulsory wearing of face masks • not fully accessible
Scenic Parcour
Depot
Duration:
1 hour 45 minutes• no intermission
GERMAN PREMIERE:
12 SEP 2020

Trailer
A Spanish island, an Austrian politician, the niece of a Russian oligarch: it’s a toxic combination. In front of a running, secretly installed camera, the man promises the woman control over the national media landscape to strengthen his own power. At the same time, in his Dionysian intoxication, he also proffers her the local nature: Rivers and lakes could be profitability privatised, and mountains and valleys used for lucrative road constructions. When the plan becomes public knowledge, the politician and his government are torn apart.

Although the names of figures in BLACKWATER are fairly known, they are not relevant. Elfriede Jelinek virtuously combines current events with ancient dramas and shows how right-wing populist positions spread at breakneck speed and infect all areas of life, just like a virus. Therefore, BLACKWATER was awarded the Nestroy Prize as Best Play in 2020.

After the visually powerful productions WINTERREISE (WINTER JOURNEY) and SCHNEE WEISS (SNOW WHITE), director Stefan Bachmann now stages a trail through a disused theatre. The characters are leftovers from a previous time. The audience makes its way to these scattered individuals who are struggling to survive all around the depot. And yet, they cannot stop looking and reporting.