by Urs Widmer –– Coordination: Franz Kattesch and Konstantin Keidel
Two men, Hans and Heinz, are hiding inside the theatre. They spend their time playing games and telling stories, re-enacting their fantasies and nightmares. For them, theatre is a refuge from the dangers of the outside world. Nepal is invoked as a faraway destination and also as an epitome of freedom. Author Urs Widmer succeeds in taking a critical stance towards society, using wordplays and black humour. The adaptation of the play by Franz Kattesch and Konstantin Keidel for the German State Theatre in Timișoara has been done according to the author's wishes: "The play is adaptable and must be rewritten for each particular city." The innuendoes to names and local events, in particular, have been taken into account.
"To see these two actors together on stage is a real pleasure. [...] Why
Nepal? For Widmer, the reason was quite obvious: because it is a place
where people know how to be happy, even if they have few possessions.
Perhaps therein lies the secret of modern happiness: in abandonment. In
any case, "Nepal" should be seen at least twice. Because behind
Slapstick humour there is also depth. However, like any good comedy,
everything that happens in this play is actually quite sad."