Theater Premiere “submission” in the Hamburg Schauspielhaus – SPIEGEL ONLINE

It is a cross with aging – with sex, with the career, if nothing more pure running around and one wounded at the corners and edges of life. François, the literary scholar, embodies the prototypical frustration bunch of middle-class intellectuals who seeks to escape with matt wit and sarcasm saloppem from the trap of spiritual early retirement.

This entails more stage comedy, as one might suppose: So reckless as Edgar Selge earlier this two and a half hour literally designed “submission” at Hamburg’s Schauspielhaus his figure from the state, this one-actor show does not waste time, instantly turns at full speed.

The oversized, ever-churning Cross offers the only escape room, otherwise all wall, oppression, Enge. In these narrow spaces of this cross is Selge / François withdraws again, with crazy, sometimes almost acrobatic exercises, an excess of continuous adaptation. The movement as a metaphor for the spiritual inner life of an opportunist who still do not know at first that he is one. He creeps and he survives. You can see that, you see the text, and that will be great theater. Playhouse boss Karin Beier directed and again showed a steady hand.

Acrobatic exercises

Michel Houellebecq’s novel “submission” ( “Soumission”) was published in January 2015 and sparked a sometimes hysterical discussion. His fiction of a seemingly moderate Muslim party, which after proper elections, tactics and coalesce ultimately represents the President in France, simply fit too well into European Islam and religion debate. Houellebecq routinised provocation instruments with which he developed literary bestseller for years, worked here in top form. The reception of the novel produced an excitation and Empörungsgeknatter under which the qualities and sometimes the intention of the novel have been obscured.

“Submission”, which is initially a satire on the complacency and mental satiety Western society , How bad this satire is really working the new version of the substance at the Hamburg tradition stage out sensual. Director Karin Beier deposited the text a little one, led her single performer taut across the wise narrowed stage (well designed by Olaf Altmann) and relied quite rightly to the immense presence Edgar Selges: an uncertain proposition that bundled the talents of all efficient.

the immense presence Edgar Selges

Even the appearance was Selge auditorium smile. A verhuschter Professor in cream-colored three-piece suit, somehow created as Houellebecq-Lookalike, of facial expressions and gestures reminiscent repeatedly to Loriot, to a prole pinch à la Hugo Egon Balder, he sat punchlines with the routine of comedians. His sex life seems the only joke, and no one takes it wonderful that under the Islamic upheaval he perceives later the introduction of polygamy and disappearance of women from professional life as meaningful reform. The Studious Understand how cheap arguments for patriarchy, theocracy, intellectual dictatorship denotes the consent Subjugator which already gets something timeless in this grotesque drawing.

And again the theatrically effective exchange between the excruciating Ins Cross creep and seemingly relaxed entertainer pose: one of the many, carefully compounded images that never make boring these sophisticated text-ride for the actor and audience over the long distance. Beneficial also that Karin Beier to atmospheric support music (Daniel Regensberg) used very sparingly and softly. Sometimes it sounds like Badalamenti / “Twin Peaks”, but these are then already the most suggestive moments.

standing ovation for the great soloists

Much flash and support faster the perfect light-Ideas (Annette Endmann) the movements Selges, but again there are no cheap effects only accents and characters. It remains ultimately hang everything on Edgar Selge. With the Playhouse stage he has had good experiences, 2004, he played at Kirchenallee a Super- “Faust” (directed by Jan Bosse), of which one still speaks today.

As Selge also changes at the end to about clear signs of his Islam-submission uniform from Schluffi suit for simple Orient outfit, the big premiere jubilation nothing stands in the way. Standing Ovations for the great soloists and for the team – that there is not every day in the era Beier at the Schauspielhaus. No submission but a plump, almost old-fashioned palatable theater evening

Who the text “submission” by Michel Houellebecq once want to experience acoustically -. And it is perfectly suitable – for which there is a read of Christian Berkel audiobook.