Sunday, February 7, 2016

Theater – Triumph for Edgar Selge in Houellebecq’s “submission” – Süddeutsche.de

Direct from the dpa news channel

Hamburg (dpa) – The cross appears here not as a traditional crucifix, calmly and firmly to the wall. Rather, the ancient symbol of Christianity and Christian Europe shows as a hollow body, cut from a thick metal wall

Almost constantly it rotates in a disc -. Lies times horizontally or upside down. This windy cubic space, created by set designer Olaf Altmann, comes at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg for informative strong, albeit striking platform for Michel Houellebecq caring sensation novel-utopia “submission”. Because sprawls therein, slips and lolls repeatedly Edgar Selge and longs for redemption.

In a magnificent, almost three-hour monologue of Star Mime Selge embodies (67, “Miss Sixty”) the bitter and ironic social criticism History about the creeping Islamization of culturally hollowed France in 2022. First, the ill-fitting suit, at the end in an oriental robe, he gives an orientation and unbound intellectuals looking for something like faith.

for Selge was on Saturday night from the premiere audience in the sold-out house cheers and ovation standing. Shortly after the book beginning in January 2015 was published, there had been in Paris the terror attack on the editors of the satirical magazine “Charlie Hebdo”. In its current title a caricature Houellebecq was printed.

has staged the stage solo, which is only sometimes jazzy, sometimes arabic acting sounds accentuated (Daniel Regensberg), from Playhouse director Karin Beier. She is responsible with dramaturge Rita Thiele also an abridged version of the text. Selge resembles externally the rather gaunt, scattered acting Parisian author who created his novel with a first-person narrator. Still quite lively and naive, thanks to its position as a university professor of literature seemingly firmly in the saddle, is the 67-year-old actor as François beginning insights into his precarious love life.

To marry is for the over-forties not to think, because only sex is subject for him. However liaisons with students regularly run into the void. Objectively and funny designed Selge such statements. He likes to lectures, one hand in his pocket, with the right index finger in the air circling. And often comes to sizes of intellectual history as the religious become novelist Huysmans (1848-1907) back.

Very difficult it meets François in the play, as a beloved with her family wants to go to Israel. As Jews, they no longer feel safe in France. They slowly but surely there are changing the balance of power: To prevent social unrest after the election victory of the right, center-left parties forge a coalition with the Muslim Brotherhood. Their chief Ben Abbes adopt moderate, but provides over educational institutions such as schools and universities for a change of the country within the meaning of the Islamists – teachers are dismissed, introduced patriarchy again. Polygamy is allowed. Women marry early, to have many children. Three burqa-wearers scurry at the end because even on stage. Since the cross has long been tipped.

The spineless François, who loses his job soon turns at Selge in a tragic clown who complains mainly of rash. Always scanty and erratic it appears, smeared his face with blood and white ointment. If he ever stands for something, for the decline of a society that barely knows her own values ​​and does not dare to stand up for them. In the book, which is stronger than imputable on stage left baby boomers. Here, as there is less to be understood as Islam-criticism, the history -. But as billing with a saturated, insipid and nerveless European Old Society

The triumph of Houellebecq’s history but continues. Even the Staatsschauspiel Dresden (Premiere: Mar 5th) and the German Theater Berlin (April 22) have set the grim satire on their game plans. And the Hamburg production later this month has been invited to the festival “Fire Haarden” in Amsterdam.

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