HAMLET [or F.O.M.O.]

A contemporary performance for two bodies, two microphones, light, sound, and hesitation – Henny-Brenner Auditorium:

Duration: approximately 40 minutes
Language: English

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet and contemporary reflections on performance culture, Hamlet [or F.O.M.O.] explores the condition of individuals living under the pressure of constant visibility.

Today, the body has become a stage. It must be optimized, displayed, narrated, and continuously performed. Simply existing is no longer enough: one must demonstrate one’s existence.

Drawing on the writings of Maura Gancitano and Andrea Colamedici, Søren Kierkegaard, and

Zygmunt Bauman, the performance investigates the relationship between freedom, choice, and paralysis in a society where every possibility remains open and every decision seems irreversible.

Two performers move through shifting landscapes of light and sound. Their bodies oscillate between exposure—as in a TikTok dance—and disappearance, between action and suspension. They follow trajectories dictated by invisible rules, pursuing recognition while confronting the fear of becoming irrelevant.

Hamlet’s question—“To be or not to be”—becomes the defining question of the present: how can we choose one life when countless alternatives remain available?

Part performance, part philosophical landscape, Hamlet [or F.O.M.O.] transforms existential doubt into a physical experience, inviting audiences to reflect on what it means to act, to hesitate, and ultimately to exist.

The project also includes two participatory installations, which will be accessible in the foyer starting at 5:30 PM:

I Never Gave You Anything, an archive of unfinished letters, abandoned thoughts, and unrealized possibilities

To Be or Not To Be, an individual installation where visitors interact with a series of questions, contributing to a growing collective archive of identities.

Dramaturg and Director: Francesca Berardi
Performers: Filippo Mantoni, Filippo Paolasini
Sound designer: Fedo Bobo
Costume designer: Stefania Cempini
Visuals: Collettivo Collegamenti

Production:
Bunker (Slovenia)
Collettivo Collegamenti (Italy)
Asini Bardasci (Italy)

Presented in partnership with Zentralwerk.

Developed as part of TESTART – Testing New Skills for the Circulation of Innovative Co-Creation Methods in the Performing Arts Sector, a Creative Europe co-funded cooperation project coordinated by Consorzio Marche Spettacolo and involving 15 partner organizations from Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Serbia, and Sweden.
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A contemporary performance for two bodies, two microphones, light, sound, and hesitation – Henny-Brenner-Saal:

Duration: approx. 40 minutes
Language: English

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet and contemporary reflections on the culture of permanent performance, HAMLET [or F.O.M.O.] explores the situation of people living under the pressure of constant visibility.

Today, the body has become a stage. It must be optimized, displayed, narrated, and ceaselessly performed. Simply existing is no longer enough: one must prove one’s existence.

Drawing on the writings of Maura Gancitano and Andrea Colamedici, Søren Kierkegaard, and Zygmunt Bauman, the performance explores the relationship between freedom, decision-making, and paralysis in a society where every possibility is open and every decision seems irrevocable.

Two performers move through shifting landscapes of light and sound. Their bodies oscillate between visibility—as in a TikTok dance—and disappearance, between action and stillness. They follow movements dictated by invisible rules, striving for recognition while simultaneously confronting the fear of becoming meaningless.

Hamlet’s question—“To be or not to be”—becomes the defining question of the present: How can we choose a life when countless alternatives remain available?

Part performance, part philosophical landscape, HAMLET [or F.O.M.O.] transforms existential doubt into a physical experience and invites the audience to reflect on what it means to act, to hesitate, and ultimately to exist.

The project also includes two participatory installations, which will be accessible in the foyer starting at 5:30 p.m.:

I Never Gave You Anything, an archive of unfinished letters, abandoned thoughts, and unrealized possibilities.

To Be or Not To Be, anindividual installation in which visitors interact with questions and contribute to a growing collective archive of identities.

Concept and Direction: Francesca Berardi
Performers: Filippo Mantoni, Filippo Paolasini
Sound design: Fedo Bobo
Costume Design: Stefania Cempini
Visuals: Collettivo Collegamenti

Production:
Bunker (Slovenia)
Collettivo Collegamenti (Italy)
Asini Bardasci (Italy)

Presented in partnership with Zentralwerk.

Developed as part of TESTART – Testing New Skills for the Circulation of Innovative Co-Creation Methods in the Performing Arts Sector, a collaborative project co-funded by Creative Europe, coordinated by Consorzio Marche Spettacolo, and involving 15 partner organizations from Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Serbia, and Sweden.