documentary theatre

ÜBERLEBEN

The clinic murders that took place between 2000 – 2005 in the hospitals of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst are beyond our imagination. The number of those killed and the attempted killings is too high, the period of time during which the perpetrator acted seemingly unnoticed for many years is too long, and the trust in the medical care system, to which we too can be at the mercy of at any time, was immediately destroyed. How does a city deal with this event, which is now part of its own history? The theatre project searches for the open questions and for the blank spaces in the narratives that make it so difficult to understand what happened. The production is based exclusively on interview texts and original sound bites, which are reproduced word for word by actors, as well as new musical compositions for a wind trio.

with: Caroline Nagel, Nientje Schwabe, Klaas Schramm, Thomas Lichtenstein, Jan Schreiner, Jakob Rubin, Heidi Bayer

concept/ research: Julia Roesler, Silke Merzhäuser und das Ensemble directing: Julia Roesler dramaturgy: Silke Merzhäuser, Marc-Oliver Krampe composition Insa Rudolph scenery and costumes Charlotte Pistorius musical directing Jan Schreiner

Premiere: 29.02.2020 Kleines Haus, Oldenburgisches Staatstheater Nominiert beim Nachtkritik-Theatertreffen und unter die zehn besten Inszenierungen gewählt

“With extraordinary sensitivity, the actors make their characters tremble, despair and laugh. At the centre of the stage designed by Charlotte Pistorius is a revolving two-floor tower: a staircase to nowhere, which allows a glimpse here and there, but all the more obstructs the view of processes inside. This is clever, like everything here, but unobtrusive – without a dramaturgical whirl of foam. A piece like “Survival” is an ensemble performance or it inevitably fails. The fact that the almost two-hour balancing act at enormous height of fall does not even stumble once is a sensation”. taz, Jan-Paul Koopmann 2.3.2020 “”Survival” is an important contribution, which was well received by the audience at the premiere. The production brings people together in order not to let the topic, the killed, the escaped, the relatives, but also the silent, repressed and accomplices fall into oblivion. It’s been a long time since theatre has been as life-affirming as this time.” NWZ, Oliver Schulz 1.3.2020 “In the state theater you can now witness a daring endeavor: Using the means of the theatre, an attempt is being made to contribute to the investigation of these crimes. (…) One gets the impression that here people have had the opportunity for the first time to talk about traumas that were reopened by the late investigations or that arose from them in the first place – and with which they were then often left alone.” Süddeutsche Zeitung, Alexander Menden 1.3.2020

SURVIVING is a coproduction of werkgruppe2 with Oldenburgisches Staatstheater for the Festival flausen+ Banden!

Funded by Land Niedersachsen and Stiftung Niedersachsen

The theater film was funded as part of the revival funding by the Performing Arts Fund with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media as part of NEUSTART KULTUR