|19.14|

Teaser # 2

Teaser # 3

Alexander Molochnikov, author of the production:

«Why is it that each year we can see a lot of new works on World War II and almost none on World War I? What do I know about the World War I, except that it has started with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and it was the first time that toxic gas attack took place. What is the Great trench warfare, that we only know of thanks to On the Western Front by Remarque? Perhaps these questions drew my attention to such grand episode in the 20th century history – equally important and unduly outcast.

While reading the pre-war diaries and letters of the citizens of both hostile parties I have noticed something else. Both sides were overwhelmed by the euphoria of engaging in war, they were completely taken by the desire to fight. The war to them seemed like an exciting adventure that won't last very long, and would be the perfect chance to show their heroism, as well as an opportunity to fight their own complexes and to canalize their mutual grievances. Today, looking back on the events of a hundred years ago, it is scary to imagine how quickly the young crowd coming from major European cities has parted with those illusions upon discovering themselves trapped for four years in the war trenches, full of dirt, death and madness. We somehow keep forgetting that there is nothing worse than war, and in the eternal quest to romanticize it over and again we keep falling into the same trap.

Our production is following the story of several French and German soldiers. They go from the utopian fantasies and fanatical patriotism, through mutual hatred and the inevitable destruction of each other to complete devastation, onto the loss of moral any limitations and self-destruction.

We are not attempting to create a didactic historical panorama, or a lecture about human cruelty. Our story will be presented in a form of cabaret with a Master of Ceremonies center stage. His one and only goal is to entertain the audience with songs and cheerful stories. At least up to the point…»