Rakvere Theatre premieres play about 20th-century Europe

Rakvere Theatre will premiere Patrik Ouředník’s “Europeana” at its small venue on Saturday, ERR reports. The work is among the most widely sold, translated and staged books in recent Czech literature.

Ouředník weaves together hundreds of conflicting ideas, visions, memories, events and interpretations without clearly favouring any of them. The result is an ironic view of 20th-century European history, threaded with absurd humour and themes including information overload, resignation, decline, racism, manipulation, pain, war, nostalgia and hopes for a brighter future.

Johannes Richard Sepping is the play’s sole performer and director. “I share different memory images that can be connected with the present or with one’s own life. Which themes stand out most depends on the viewer,” he said.

Roos Lisette Parmas adapted the book for the stage. Kairi Mändla is the set designer, with Eeros Lees as assistant; Vootele Ruusmaa composed the music and created the sound design, and Roomet Villau designed the lighting.