Rain

Ferdinand von Schirach

Rain, the new monodrama by one of the most important German playwrights of our time, Ferdinand von Schirach, has become a major event. The author himself toured Europe with it successfully and its book edition became a bestseller in German-speaking countries. Immediately after the author’s tour with his new piece, the National Theatre Brno came up with its production. This fascinating philosophical text about the nature of love and why human beings need it to live was put on our stage by the young director and dramaturge Vít Kořínek. The main and only role was played by one of the leading members of the National Theatre Brno Drama ensemble, Petr Kubes, who in 2023 was nominated for the prestigious Thalia Award.

Who is the protagonist of von Schirach’s monodrama? A writer. One who hasn’t written a single line in seventeen years. That number is no coincidence: seventeen years ago, his wife died prematurely. He has spent all that time in seclusion. Every morning since, he has sat at his desk in his study, never to write anything again. And about what? About life? He wants nothing to do with it! What kind of thing is this life anyway – if the only being with whom he felt truly alive was taken away from him for good after only a few months of living together? But seventeen years later, life knocks on his door in the form of a summons. He is to sit as a juror in the case of a young man who, in the heat of passion, killed his wife with a knife. His most painful wound becomes reopened by the case. Will he be able to judge the man impartially or will he take revenge on him for the injustice of life?

The opening scene of Rain is reminiscent of a classic film-noir in Kořínek’s conception. A mysterious man enters a dark café somewhere on the outskirts of Berlin to seek shelter from rain, muttering to himself about a crime scene. Perhaps he is a detective investigating a murder? But it soon turns out that this “detective” is a little different. He’s not investigating just a mere murder mystery – but the mystery of his entire life. His words and thoughts fizz on the scene like raindrops and reach the heart of anyone who has ever dealt with the loss of a loved one. Why is it so hard to let our loved ones go?

The minimalist yet profoundly atmospheric set was created by two remarkably talented young people: set designer Michal Spratek and costume designer Linda Holubová. Martin Hůla’s seemingly unobtrusive music also plays a key role in the production, suggestively capturing the drama of a man frozen in time. The set, costume, and music become acting partners helping Petr Kubes to draw the audience into the rich inner world of von Schirach’s character, the Writer. A theatrical experience full of concentrated sadness but also of humour, ironic detachment, and pertinent thoughts about the contemporary world resonate in the audience long after the performance.

 

Translated by Ondřej Šebesta
Directed by Vít Kořínek
Dramaturgy by Milan Šotek
Stage design by Michal Spratek
Costume design by Linda Holubová
Music by Martin Hůla

Premiered on 2nd December 2024 at the Small Stage of the Mahen Theatre

 

  • “One of the best performances I’ve been to in 2024. I was amazed that a single actor could hold my attention for almost two hours without me having to exert myself in any way. Despite the fact that the play is fairly slow and doesn’t have any coherent plot. However, the complex grief of the main character caught my attention and let it go only long after the performance.” — an audience member

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  • “The Small Stage of the Natonal Theatre Brno represents an ideal setting for a play so demanding when it comes to acting abilities. It also places demands on the audience, but it undoubtedly has the potential to fill the seats to full capacity many times. It is sure to attract young audiences, and should certainly also be presented elsewhere in our country.” — Jaroslav Štěpaník, Divadelní noviny

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  • “Petr Kubes is charismatic on stage. He is able to attach the audience to his character, arousing repeated interest. He easily establishes contact with the audience and casually maintains it. Kubes is attentive to his every utterance. In his fine acting, he is spare – but firm. He searches ardently for the essence of meanings, trying to answer the question of whether one can be unbiased. He lightens the spiral of almost fatal motives with irony and a sense of humour, he can be caustic and disagreeable, but in a moment he suddenly becomes tender with the description of a poetic image, revealing the sensitivity of the character.” — Adéla Kalusová, Česká televize

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  • “The writer is portrayed by Petr Kubes who does an incredible job in a huge volume of complicated text, which he conveys to the viewer without any hiccups and quite naturally. One must bow before such a performance. All the more so because neither he nor the audience have any crutch at hand in the form of a coherent story. There is no plot that moves forward in a linear fashion. The musings of the lone intellectual unfold in twists and turns of quotations, similes and references to the rich cultural heritage of our civilization.” — Michal Švanda, kulturio.cz

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  • “The important thing is that Kubes does not play the failed poet as a sad, bitter reprobate. On the contrary – he develops his reflections on all sorts of areas of human knowledge in a lively manner. In the end, however, there is a catharsis that defies a purely scientific and speculative conception of the world and conveys the realisation that in order to find what is most valuable one has to look elsewhere.”— Michal Švanda, kulturio.cz

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