Programme

Once Upon A Time There Was A Man … And That’s All Really.

In the footsteps of Daniil Kharms
Texts selected and compiled by Roland Lillie
Franziska Mencz and Christian Kaiser

Sunday, November 08, 2009, 6.00 p.m., Erholungshaus Leverkusen
Köln Ticket (Direct ticket order)

Prices € 16 | 14

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Once Upon A Time There Was A Man … And That's All Really.

The Dadaist Daniil Kharms (1905-1942) was one of many persecuted Soviet writers whose work was not published until long after their death. Since the 1980s, Kharms has become something of a cult figure. His work has been accorded world literature status and is mentioned in the same breath as Samuel Beckett.

Like many other writers of his time, Kharms was forced to work under the most difficult conditions. However, neither Stalinist tyranny, war nor hunger could stop him from writing – even if he knew there was no chance of his work ever being published. He died in prison in Leningrad in 1942 during the siege of the city by German troops. In this tribute to Kharms, Franziska Mencz and Christian Kaiser (bremer shakespeare company) paint a vivid picture of the poet and author and transport the audience into a literary world full of horror and grotesque humour. Roland Lillie, who was head of the theatre section of Bayer’s Cultural Affairs Department from 1980 to 2002, compiled the texts.

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