Elfriede Jelinek's A Transition celebrates world premiere at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus
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Elfriede Jelinek's "A Transition" as world premiere in Düsseldorf
On October 22, 2026, Elfriede Jelinek's new play "A Transition" will celebrate its world premiere at the Kleines Haus of the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus. The production by Jossi Wieler leads into a linguistically highly concentrated world, intertwining historical experience, political present, and the question of the transformation of humanity.
Language art between history and present
Jelinek's prose poem takes Germany in the "Year Zero" after the end of World War II as its starting point. The titular transition refers not only to the change from Nazi rule to democracy. Instead, the focus is on the sobering realization that political and social transformations rarely unfold as liberating turning points.
With her characteristic associative style, Elfriede Jelinek casts a wide net from ancient myths to the 21st century. Linguistic quotes, historical fragments, and contemporary observations condense into a multi-voiced narration. The text questions progress, reason, and the recurring violence in human orders.
Jossi Wieler directs Jelinek's linguistic unconscious
Director Jossi Wieler is one of the key interpreters of Jelinek's theatrical texts. His repeated collaboration with the author is characterized by precise attention to rhythm, layering, and the theatrical power of spoken word. In "A Transition," the production places the transformations and confusions of the human being at the center.
Alongside him works the highly acclaimed stage and costume designer Anna Viebrock. Together, they create a theatrical space where language, body, and staging enter into a tension-filled connection. The ensemble featuring Ole Lagerpusch, Dominik Dos-Reis, Katja Bürkle, and Stefan Hunstein encounters Jelinek's text with acting precision and high linguistic presence.
A cheerful-pessimistic view of humanity
"A Transition" combines political analysis with dark humor and a deep skepticism towards the belief in progress. Jelinek's literary quality lies in her ability to disrupt familiar certainties through linguistic shifts. The stage version makes audible how history continues to influence the present and how quickly social conditions can change again.
The literary experience is aimed at an audience that appreciates contemporary spoken theater, political drama, and demanding linguistic art. The reading atmosphere of a pure book presentation gives way here to the immediate author encounter with a theater text that unfolds its full effect only in the interplay of voice, body, and space.
Conclusion: A world premiere with high literary tension
Visitors can expect a concentrated theater evening about historical transitions, political transformations, and the fragile promises of reason. Elfriede Jelinek's "A Transition" connects cultural memory with a sharp eye on the present. Those who want to experience the linguistic radicality of the Austrian Nobel laureate live will find a special opportunity in Düsseldorf.
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- Publisher: https://www.rowohlt-theaterverlag.de/theaterstueck/ein-uebertritt-8885
