Hermann Broch – Ivan Buraj
THE SLEEPWALKERS (Imitation and presentiment)
HaDivadlo Brno
FRI 19 May — 4.30 pm S-klub
SAT 20 May — 10.30 am S-klub
directed by Ivan Buraj
dramaturgy Matěj Nytra
set design Jana Boháčková, Lenka Jabůrková
video David Matuška
music supervision Ivan Buraj
translated by Rio Preisner
assistant Ľubomír Višňovec
premiere 11 November 2016
characters and cast
Joachim Zbyšek Humpolec
Bertrand Jiří Svoboda
Esch Jan Lepšík
Martin Miroslav Ukul Kumhala
Rose Lucie Andělová
Elisabeth Agáta Kryštůfková
Intellectual Jiří M. Valůšek
Mrs Hentjen Marie Ludvíková
Pasenow Cyril Drozda
Jaretzky Simona Peková
nurse Táňa Malíková
someone in the corner Martin Tlapák g.a. / Jan Řezníček g.a.
worker Ľubomír Višňovec g.a.
Huguenau Michal Skočovský g.a.
Hans Buch Ivan Urbánek g.a.
interpreter Dagmar Radová
Hermann Broch's trilogy “The Sleepwalkers” is a prominent work of European modernism and it describes the crisis of values of the modern
man. A radical adaptation of director and artistic director Ivan Buraj keeps only fragments of the character's dialogues. The whole ensemble of the HaDivadlo theatre find themselves at the bar At the End of the History – at first as denizens they represent a freak-show of dull figures, unable to find balance in the unstable world. In the following passage they invite us to a staged first reading of the production. Here the actors play themselves and in humorous and bizarre dialogues reveal the complexity of understanding to each other. It is actually the very first adaptation of Broch's work in the Czech context. The production aptly opened the new season at HaDivadlo called MY a ONI (US and THEM), which aims to provoke universal (self)reflection through the theatre's own.
Ivan Buraj's ability to provide the productions with a great charm is undeniable and this time even more visible. He never turns to cynicism or arrogance. Therefore, he maintains an open space for thoughts, he does not criticize openly or imposes his opinion. The Sleepwalkers is a flagship of all answers to the question: “Why is it still worth it to go to theatre?”
Jaroslava Šimáková, Artikl.org, 8 April 2017
Ivan Buraj (1988) was born in Bratislava. While studying drama directing at the JAMU academy in Brno, he was already working as an intern at the National Theatre Prague while preparing Robert Wilson's production The Makropulos Case (2010). He earned his masters' degree in 2011 with his adaptation of Kleist's The Prince of Homburg, which was successful at the ISTROPOLITANA festival in Bratislava (special award of the jury and audience award) and was even nominated for the Theatre Newspaper Award. Since 2015 he has been the artistic director of HaDivadlo, where he has prepared 6 productions so far: original project Creatures: Come with Me to the Fire! (2012), Kafka's Castle (2014), Madame Bovary (2015) and finally in 2016 Uncle Vanya, Unveiling and The Sleepwalkers. At Theatre LETÍ – as a guest director – he produced the comedy The Descent and rise of Mr. B. (2014) and at the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre an original production Odsun!!! (2015).