Speed (kills content)

Friday, 8^th May,19,30, Gervais Centre, Opatija, Aktionstheater Ensemble, Dornbirn, Austria

SPEED (kills content)

(www.aktionstheater.at)

Concept and direction: Martin Gruber
Cast: Zeynep Alan, Isabella Jeschke. Thomas Kolle, Kirstin Schwab, Tamara Stern, Benjamin Vanyek
Musicians: Andreas Dauböck, Pete Simpson, Jean Phiolipp Viol

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Photo: Stefan-Grdic & Niklas Koch

The Aktionstheater is an independent theatre group founded in Austria in 1989 by director Martin Gruber.

After being nominated for two consecutive years in 2015 and 2016, the group won the Nestroy Theatre Award in the category “Best Off-Production in 2016.

Under the direction of Martin Gruber, the Aktionstheater has been working on classics for years, such as the Büchner trilogy between 1994 and 1996. It quickly gained a reputation as an “avant-garde group in love with experiments”.

Over time, director Gruber began to collaborate more often with choreographers and dancers. Finally, in 2008, the Aktionstheater’s working method changed completely: instead of using existing theatre material, they began to develop their own pieces. A special focus of this work is on collaborations with musicians and visual artists.

Since parting of the ways with classical theatre material, the group has been known for their quick thinking on contemporary issues. The plays mainly deal with themes that concern contemporary life. Developing plays without a plot has become the group’s paradigm. The plays are created by combining interviews with actors and texts written by the authors, which are constructed into a collage-like dramaturgy during the rehearsal process. With this method, the ensemble approaches contemporary documentary theatre, although the poetic condensation of reality takes centre stage.

Press excerpt:
“Socio-critical theatre of the highest standard.” Neue Voralberg
“What this ensemble shows in this piece is that there is no escape from yourself.” Saiten Magazine Switzerland
“Like so many evenings before, he manages to once again touch the most sensitive areas of our lives.” Der Standard.