Hotel Savoy

The war is over. The returnee Gabriel Dan stops off in a small eastern provincial town, "a town of rain and desolation". He checks into the Hotel Savoy to rest for a few days after a long hike. He hopes to get money for his onward journey from a wealthy relative who lives in the city. After the plan fails to materialize, Gabriel Dan stays at the Hotel Savoy for several weeks and meets strange guests as he wanders through the various floors and rooms: a mysterious elevator boy, a lottery dreamer, a beautiful vaudeville dancer, a prompter who actually wanted to direct and a dying clown who teaches tricks to his sad donkey. The world is out of joint and the hotel guests are waiting for a big change or the arrival of a billionaire from America. "The big events tend to come as a surprise, and any expectation only causes them to hesitate." By chance, Gabriel Dan meets his old comrade Zwonimir Pansin, who falls in love with the Hotel Savoy and uses his love of excitement and unrest to become an agitator: "The revolution is here."

In a letter to his publisher, Joseph Roth writes: "I have no home, if I disregard the fact that I am at home in myself and feel at home with myself. If I leave myself just once, I also lose myself. That's why I'm meticulous about always staying with myself."

Charlotte Sprenger adapts "Hotel Savoy" (1924) by Joseph Roth for the stage. The novel is set between the wars and portrays a generation that has lost its home and is heading for an uncertain future.

Duration 2h, no intermission

Premiere on September 11, 2022, Thalia Gauss