–– an opera without opera
Jürg Federspiel’s Kilroy, named after the famous graffito of the same name, lives in the New York subway of the postwar years. He becomes a fellow traveler, companion, and listener to the people who flock to New York’s subway daily, traveling to work, home, or pleasure. Kilroy accompanies those who are among the losers of the capitalist affluent society, people for whom neither the fairy tale of the American Dream of the 20th nor the self-optimization utopias of the 21st century have been or will ever be fulfilled – people who make up the largest but still invisible part of our society. Kilroy tells us their stories: of their often arduous daily lives, of hopes and failures, of childhood memories, of thoughts of death, and of whether life has been worth it up to this point.
The Subway becomes an in-between space in which Kilroy gives people and their fates a stage. And in the end, all the spectacular, touching or harrowing anecdotes reveal one thing above all: the banality of human existence.
A collaboration with Oblivia, Ensemble ö! and Theater Chur
Carsten Michels, Südostschweiz
The staging by Annika Tudeer, who becomes the soul of the evening as a performer, shapes the entire ensemble – last but not least – into a wonderfully intimate, infinitely delightful music theater experience.
CREDITS
Oblivia team
Performance, text, co-direction: Annika Tudeer
Costume design: Tua Helve
Lighting design: Meri Ekola
Oeil extérieur: Timo Fredriksson, Tua Helve
•
Ensemble ö! Team
Music: David Sontòn Caflisch
Musical direction: Francesc Prat
Assistant musical direction: Christian Rombach
Riccarda Caflisch (flutes)
Pilar Fontalba (oboe, cor anglais, baritone oboe)
Manfred Spitaler (bass and contrabass clarinet)
Rahel Kohler (alto saxophone), Andrea Mates (bassoon/contrabassoon)
André Meier (trumpet)
Adrián Albaladejo Díaz (trombone)
Dino Georgeton (percussion)
Asia Ahmetjanova (piano, keyboard)
David Sontòn Caflisch (1st violin)
Sofiia Suldina (2nd violin)
Maria Kropotkina (viola)
Christian Hieronymi (cello)
Daniel Sailer (double bass)
•
Theater Chur Team
Text: Jürg Federspiel, Martina Mutzner
Co-direction: Martina Mutzner
Dramaturgy: Martina Mutzner
Costume assistance: Kristina Wolf
Original stage sketch: H.R. Giger
Sound design: Willy Strehler, Leandro Gianini
Assistant director: Iris Peng
Make-up: Delia Rohr
Technique: Hannes Fopp, Mick Frigerio, Torsten Szyszka, Saskia van de Wal
Production management: Anaïs Steiner
Premiere | September 21, 2023, Theater Chur
