SPEED (kills content)

In line with current national and international retro politics, i.e. delving into the cesspool of history, the aktionstheater ensemble has also shifted into reverse gear. They may not be surfing exclusively in our inglorious past of the last three centuries, but at least in their last three plays. And they do so at high speed. What they encounter, apart from the rather unenlightening realisation of how little we know about ourselves (All about me), as well as the insight that society's failure is also our own (Wir haben versagt) and that there are still a few steps to take before we can truly live together (Ragazzi del Mondo), is this: EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING PRETTY FAST!

And instead of slowing down, they step it up a notch, as is their wont. Just like the tech bros, here and across the Atlantic, they simply drive over everything. Over others and over themselves. Speed kills content. What they seek, together with the audience, are moments of calm, if not insight.

aktionstheater ensemble is an independent theatre group in Austria, founded in 1989 by director Martin Gruber. The ensemble is known for its ability to reflect on current events with remarkable speed. Its plays consistently address themes that deal with contemporary human issues. Developing plays without a plot has become the group's paradigm. The plays are created from a combination of interviews with actors and authors' texts, which are built into a collage-like dramaturgy during the rehearsal process. With this working method, the ensemble approaches contemporary documentary theatre, but the poetic condensation of reality is at the forefront. From 2015 to 2017 and again in 2021, the ensemble was nominated for the Nestroy Theatre Award in the category ‘Best Off-Production’. The ensemble received the award in 2016. In 2023, it was awarded the Austrian Art Prize for Performing Arts.