Theater im Bahnhof

European trilogy: Nothing new in the West

The West-Ensemble of the Theater im Bahnhof(Bild: Johannes Gellner)

Can you have a blind date with an entire continent? The Theater im Bahnhof tried it and superimposed the map of the Graz lines over a map of Europe. The location closest to the home of the respective ensemble member in this overlay became the destination for a research trip. Blind Date West" has now celebrated its premiere.

The third and final part of the Theater im Bahnhof's "European trilogy" presents itself as a fun quiz show in which facts have to be distinguished from lies - and because it goes to the supposedly rich West, the participants set off for France, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands with a proudly stocked points account. 

Supposedly problem-free West
At first, it seems as if there is nothing new in the West: clean roads, beautiful landscapes, crowded airports and city centers populated by tourists characterize the travelers' first days. But the deeper the ensemble members immerse themselves in life in their destinations, the clearer it becomes: There are problems even in the supposedly problem-free West.

Stories from Europe presented as a quiz show(Bild: Johannes Gellner)

Helene Thümel is in France, very close to a nuclear reprocessing camp. Gabriela Hiti, a harvest worker, is confronted with the exploitative systems in agriculture very close by. In Denmark, Elisabeth Holzmeister encounters the historical story of a witch hunt that seems astonishingly contemporary. Jacob Banigan and Beatrix Brunschko are confronted with the effects of mass tourism and climate change in the Netherlands. And in Belgium, Ed Hauswirth embarks on a flirtation with his landlady, who has been so badly treated by life that she has long since abandoned the idea of reconciliation.

Humorous observation and clever analysis
As in the first two parts of the "European Trilogy", in "Blind Date West" the Theater im Bahnhof also manages the balancing act between humorous observations of everyday life and clever analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of the European Union system. Each of the stories told here is also an attempt to build a theatrical bridge from the individual to the European level. In other words, the problems of the individual are always also the problems of society - and vice versa.

The parts of the trilogy can be seen at the Theater im Bahnhof in Graz until June 1 - and as a grand finale, all three parts will be performed in one evening on June 2.