Play "Circus Empedocles" inspires Bocholt audience

The well-known film actor Peter Trabner now presented his "system-relevant theater spectacle for a man and a tree" in Bocholt at the Podium Bridge. Expressive and intense, he played a wild mixture of classical theater, street theater and improvisation show. Spiced with humor, he took about 60 spectators on a journey beginning in the times of poet Friedrich Hölderlin and ending in the year 2022 - with plastic waste, climate catastrophe and child labor.

Inspired by the poet Hölderlin, who would have celebrated his 250th birthday in 2020, the play "Circus Empedocles" was created.

In conversation with an oak tree

Again and again, Peter Trabner surprised his audience in his play with quick changes of subject and interesting perspectives on today's environmental issues and earlier poetry. He was accompanied by his counterpart - a thick oak tree, which calmly and peacefully endured the dialogues with Trabner on the lawn. He skillfully included the passing cyclists in the piece. Whether shouts or remarks - they reacted with quick-witted answers or even embarrassed comments.

Spectators become actors

Trabner skillfully incorporated the environmental noises on the lawn stage caused by a small airplane or the cackling chickens of the LWL-TextilWerk Bocholt into his performance. Special roles were given to the audience members Veronika, Reza and Philipp. They were appointed actors by Trabner: Veronika played a deer that was torn by the "problem wolf" Reza after eating mushrooms. Philip, a brave hunter, shot the wolf and made boots out of its fur that lasted at least 15 years. But Philip also met an abrupt end. At the end of the play, two other spectators also had to take to the lawn as players, bringing the theater evening to a lively conclusion.

About the artist

Trabner himself has been living in Voerde with his family for a year, working as an actor for film and television productions as well as in the theater. Trabner works interdisciplinarily in the fields of dance, theater and performance and developed, among other things, the play Bettina bummelt, which was nominated for the Ikarus Children's and Youth Theater Prize. He worked for many years as a guest at the "Junges Staatstheater Berlin". His script, his film idea for the TV movie Alki Alki (2015) was nominated for the Grimme Award. In 2016, he was nominated alongside Lars Eidinger and Burkhard Klaussner as best actor for his artistic work in the feature films "Familienfieber" and "Alki Alki" by the "Association of German Film Critics". One focus of Trabner's artistic work is free improvisation, which he also teaches as a lecturer at German drama schools.

Support from the EUREGIO

The performance was organized as part of the exhibition "endless" together with the Ökumenischer Arbeitskreis Eine Welt e.V.. Drinks will be offered on site. The events in the context of the exhibition are supported by the INTERREG program Germany-Nederland with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).