Dear Children, Sincerely… 7 Decades of Sri Lanka | THEATER DER WELT

In the organizer's words:

Seven decades of Sri Lanka: a visually stunning drama about power, violence and hope in a historical mosaic full of physicality.

1948: Independence for Ceylon, today's Sri Lanka. A new country, a new us, a new promise. But at this point in time, no one knows exactly what this new "we" actually means. Since the end of the British colonial empire, Sri Lanka has now been an independent state for 70 years. In a somewhat free translation of the title: "Honestly, dear children ..." begins a retrospective whose special dramatic quality is uncertainty. Stages Theatre Group, which has been working with artistic actions, unusual formats and ever-changing constellations for 25 years, makes voices heard in this production that remember without agreeing: Moments that become bigger than they initially seem.
Seven scenes, seven decades. Not a linear narrative, but a sequence of situations in which power shifts, belonging is redistributed and violence is slowly normalized. Instead of a historical explanation, the evening of theater provides a mosaic of moments, images and physical states in a largely unfamiliar visual language that is excitingly unfamiliar to European audiences: a bus that initially takes everyone and then only takes a few at the end. A dance that arises from youthful energy and tips over into sheer destruction. And finally a female voice, old and tired, talking about displacement as if it were part of everyday life.
The energetic ensemble, made up of diverse talents, is both a motor and a memory. Cascades of words condense historical incisions that transform into physical imagery, not illustrating but reacting to each other. The stage is a mobile place, changeable, always ready to tip over into a new reality. Scenes emerge and disintegrate quickly, sometimes brutally. Humor flashes up only to disappear again immediately. Hope becomes visible, but is never certain.
Dear Children, Sincerely... 7 De cades of Sri Lanka does not tell Sri Lanka's story from a distance. The artists let us experience it with them, from their midst.

Venue: Spinnbau - large stage
Introduction: 30 minutes before the start of each performance
Duration: 1 h 50 min
Information: In English, Tamil and Sinhala with German and English surtitles

All further information at: https://www.theaterderwelt.de/programm/

A festival of the German Centre of the International Theatre Institute e.V.
Organized by Chemnitz Theatres, the Festival Academy Brussels and the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 GmbH.

Price information:

Tickets at: theaterderwelt.de/dear-children-sincerely | 35% discount with festival pass. More information at: theaterderwelt.de/service/tickets