A satire about a future close to yours
When does the improbable become likely, when is the unreasonable sensible? Pontus Stenshäll grapples with Franz Kafka’s world famous novel Processen (The Trial), lifting the story onstage. Instead of working at a bank, Joseph K is now a theatre director – and when the guards rush in, breaking into a rehearsal, the story becomes just as nightmarish as the novel. It will be funny, claustrophobic and absurd when the discussion concerning society’s power over the individual is taken to the utmost point. Lasse Beischer portrays Joseph K.
Franz Kafka (1883-1924) wrote Processen (The Trial) around 1914-15. It was first published after his death, in 1925, and it’s about Joseph K who wakes up one morning and is arrested with no explanation of what he is accused of. In the novel we follow his labyrinthine trail through an absurd legal system.
Pontus Stenshäll is an actor, a director and the artistic leader of Göteborgs Stadsteater (Gothenburg City Theatre). He is one of the founders of Moment:teater in Gubbängen in Stockholm and has directed at most of Sweden’s institutional theatres. At Göteborgs Stadsteater he has directed Mefisto (Mephisto), Utvandrarna (The Emigrants), Kung Lear (King Lear), Puntila och hans dräng Matti (Puntila and His Man Matti) and Kejsarn av Portugallien (The Emperor of Portugallia).
Photo: Mats Bäcker
Performed in Swedish, no English subtitles.
PRODUCTION
Freely inspired by FRANZ KAFKA’S NOVEL Adaptation and Direction PONTUS STENSHÄLL Ensemble BORTAS JOSEFINE ANDERSSON, LASSE BEISCHER, VICTORIA DYRSTAD, FREDRIK EVERS, JOHAN FRIBERG, ELINE HØYER, CARINA M JOHANSSON, JESPER SÖDERBLOM Scenography and costume design RICHARD ANDERSSONMask/make-up design INGELA COLLIN Light design MAX MITLE Composer SIMON STEENSLAND Video design LUDDE FALK
