The rereading of the myth of King Arthur starts from the idea that Merlin is living backwards, while Arthur is still believing that a better and peaceful world is possible. The Round Table, only a game for Merlin, is a real utopia for the king.

Dance and acting, created 2010 in Salzburg, premiere 18 October 2010, tanz_house Festival, ARGEkultur Salzburg

«King Arthur»

premiere: 18 October 2010, tanz_house Festival, ARGEkultur Salzburg

created 2010 in Salzburg

Tomaz Simatovic - King Arthur

Markus Kofler - Merlin

Viviana Escalé - Morgane le Fay, Kay

directing, choreography: Editta Braun in collaboration with the team

dramaturgy: Gerda Poschmann-Reichenau

composition: Thierry Zaboitzeff

lightdesign: Peter Thalhamer

costumes: Arturas Valudskis

Textmaterial out of T.H.White: The Once and Future King; Tankred Dorst: Merlin; Josef Wittmann: Merlin kotzt

The history of mankind is progress. One day the utopia of a free and just world without war and violence will become reality… or not?

Merlin comes from the future and knows whereto mankind is marching. When he suggested the idea of a round table to King Arthur, the

utopic society of brotherhood, he doesn’t want to save the world, he wants to experiment with it.

But Arthur takes this play of thoughts seriously. He takes the animal world as a model, which, unlike homo sapiens, do not know war.

From Morgana, who comes from the Otherworld, he learns gentleness, tenderness and love. But Merlin knows the ways of the world and they disgust him.

We see King Arthur as a doubtplagued, desperate utopist, near to death. His memories and dreams, his examination of

Merlin’s teachings and his cynicism once again inflame the vision editta braun company of a better world.

«King Arthur» - text excerpt, Josef Wittman:

MERLIN: A new society of brotherhood!

Bargaining eye to eye, yes. Do you see the beam, brother?

People! Claim they have not only a body, but a soul as well!

…Souls!

Pilgrims, priests, crusaders, hangmen, whores, witches, heroes, thieves, murderers,

debtors, counterfeiters, bankrupts, … cheapskates! Abusing nurses, women in the pillory,

begging cripples, plundering soldiers, hunger, battles, black death, dark times, yes, yes!

And today?

When there are no longer any battlefields left, mankind founds corporations. Swords to plowshares! Super, then opium

poppies grow in the fields. When your enemies are weak, your friends betray you as well:

Come, let’s buy a bank.

While you were sitting at the round table, your enemies were working on their own immortality.

While you were bargaining, your palace guards were selling their weapons to foreign soldiers – along with your own

daughters.

King Arthur in a suit of armour! Battle tanks are driving around outside.

How long does a knight live? How long his horse? Try to kill a stock corporation.

Let’s get the jet fighters out of their hangars and let them do what they were built for! Let the land go up in flames.

Let’s clean out the city with a high pressure cleaner, let’s save the world!

We’ve lost time, but not yet the war.

Let the sirens wail. Good will triumph! Brotherhood!

Quarter! Impale! Burn! Behead! Fight! For freedom!

Homo sapiens? Don’t make me laugh – homos ferox! (ferocious man) Homo stultus!!! (inefficient man)

War is of immeasurable benefit to the whole of creation, in that it provides a faint glimmer of hope of destroying the

human race.

«King Arthur»

(2010)