Return to Reims (via Olomouc)

Description

Class conflict + queer identity = a lot of kind fun :) What is it like to grow up in a working-class family, not fitting in, and returning to where you permanently left? And what does this personal experience have to do with how we think about society, polarization, or politics today? The performance is loosely inspired by the book of Didier Eribon, one of the most prominent contemporary French intellectuals, bringing a layered reflection on themes that still touch us: class identity, sexuality, and personal journeys towards freedom. At the same time, it does not shy away from humor, perspective, or (self)irony. Director Adam Svozil, a two-time winner of the Mark Ravenhill Award, transforms a theoretical essay into a staged discussion. The author of the book is interviewed by the cheerful "worker in culture" Karli, who asks on your behalf. Unfiltered and straightforward. Reflections on queer identity, current distrust in intellectual and political elites, the rise of right-wing extremism, and the role of the working and middle class intertwine with personal memories of growing up in Reims - and also Olomouc, as the director and his experience come from there. After the happening Evening in November, realized in 2019 on the occasion of the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, and the performance Introduction to Contemporary Awkwardness, Return to Reims (via Olomouc) is the third collaboration of the Divadlo nacucky! with director Adam Svozil and also the first queer performance in the repertoire. Last but not least, it is a strong personal and social commentary on how today's world (does not) function. The performance is suitable for those who: - have experience with leaving home and know that strange feeling upon return, of being "at home and visiting at the same time" - are interested in social issues – class origin, societal polarization, the relationship between personal and political. - appreciate clever humor, irony, and at the same time enjoy being moved. #moving #humorous #French #basedonthebook #intense #100minutes "The title opens up a whole range of questions, whether it is the accessibility of education as a possibility to escape the margins of society, we also find the motif of revealing the gay identity of the heroes with impacts on their lives. Svozil, along with Eribon, asks what causes left-wing voters to become voters of extreme right forces, which is a hot topic even here. (...) I appreciate the maintenance of a balanced degree of irony, exaggeration, and lightness with which the performance conveys these themes. It is not so much about what it says, but how it says it. Humor comes here both through the resolution of situations, thanks to frequent estrangement, but also through the contrast of two characters, as two opposing, mutually complementary types – the serious intellectual and the unaware, cheerful guy. (...) It is a generational statement, but I believe that people of all age categories will find their perspective here and possibly define themselves against it. It could be a performance suitable even for high school students, as the sociological perspective is presented very directly. I think the performance will succeed across generations." Pavla Bergmannová, ČRo Vltava We inform the audience that this performance uses strobe lights and smoke effects. The copyright holder of the work is represented by DILIA, the theatrical, literary, audiovisual agency, Krátkého 143/1, Prague 9. Featuring Jan Lepšík Jiří Svoboda Set design Pavla Kamanová Directed by Adam Svozil Based on Didier Eribon premiere 06.12.2024 duration 100 min. (without intermission)