Mr. Carmen

AKHE

Russia

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As hard as she tries, Carmen can’t shake off her admirer, Don José. Yearning for death, unwavering in his affections and willing to go to any lengths, he is a stalker par excellence. AKHE adapts this story of passion and jealousy into a desperate and comic duel in which José’s love-stricken self splits in two and he becomes involved in a fight with his alter ego. It’s like shadowboxing or fencing with words. In the midst of frothy cream, clouds of tobacco smoke and frankincense, wine baths, flurries of salt and ingeniously constructed objects, the knife finally strikes the right heart, as if of its own accord, in a grand finale.

AKHE is one of Russia’s most renowned artists’ collectives. They ironically describe their performances – which are brimming with strange objects and allusions to art – as “engineering theatre”. In recent years they have produced several commissioned works and have been involved in various co-productions with renowned event organisers (incl. Berliner Festspiele, Kampnagel Hamburg and FIDENA Bochum). UNIDRAM has presented almost all of their productions to date.