Rats

Being a rat is a choice. But for some, the only chance.

A bitter tragicomedy from the margins of society based on the masterwork of Gerhart Hauptmann (1862–1946), Nobel Prize winner for literature. This play has been staged on the Czech stage only once, more than half a century ago — despite being a staple of German theatre repertoires.

Henrietta John has lost a child and cannot have another. Her life bears a wound that refuses to heal — until a woman crosses her path, seeking to rid herself of what John has longed for all along. In a tenement house on the periphery, such wounds hide in abundance. Tenants who once felt they had something to lean on now resemble shadows concealing a far greater problem. Under the weight of hypocrisy and manipulation, the very foundations of the house begin to crumble. Desire turns to hunger. Hunger into obsession.

"Everything here is rotten! And what isn't rotten is gnawed by rats! They crawl through the garbage, nibble at corpses, and would eat each other if nothing else remained. When one drowns, another eats it, and a third takes its place. Survival — that's all that matters to them. Each of us is a bit of a rat..."

Warning: The production addresses violence, miscarriage, and child death. The performance includes stroboscopic effects and unexpected loud sounds.