Velni

The Devil can be encountered almost everywhere. They dwell in swamps and thickets among their friends the trees, or in barns, manors, schools, under bridges, and at crossroads. The devil “hisses like a whirlwind, bursts and splits, darts about in the roar of six throats.” In Latvian legends, as well as in the folklore and pop culture of other nations, the devil is associated with all kinds of desires, fears, contradictions, experiences of violence, and fantasies. Yet it is clear that stories about devils express much more about the human than the demonic. The fantastic intertwines with our everyday world. The musical theatre performance Devils will be a sensually powerful, performative, and vivid experience, featuring archetypal figures familiar to everyone. It is based on a collage of motifs inspired by the archives of the University of Latvia’s Folklore Repository and life under conditions of world decline, as well as the works of Fricis Bārda, Anna Brigadere, Kārlis Mīlenbahs Vēbers, and others. The performance will be created as a creatively free celebration of the uniqueness of folklore, filled with vital energy and dynamic action. Specially composed instrumental and electronic music will intertwine with familiar pieces.

Creative team:
composers Raivis Misjuns and Alise Rancāne,
dramaturg Evarts Melnalksnis,
director Franciska Kronfoth (DE),
set designer Lotte Hensche (DE),
Lighting designer Niks Cipruss.
Sound engineer Tālis Timrots.

Cast:
singers Laura Grecka and David Ristau (DE),
performers Gina-Lisa Maiwald(DE) and Āris Matesovičs,
musicians Alise Rancāne, Raivis Misjuns, and Jēkabs Nīmanis.

Financial supporters: State Culture Capital Foundation and the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.

Partners: National Library of Latvia and the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia.

Produced by Sansusī.

Libretto

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