Dirty Hands

Dirty Hands

by Jean-Paul Sartre
New translation by Hinrich Schmidt-Henkel commissioned by Schauspielhaus Zürich.
directed by Jan Bosse

PFAUEN
Premiere: 5 December 2024
2h 10 min., no break

«You speak against your heart.»

It is in turbulent times that the young Hugo is politicised and becomes a member of a political party. He seeks to flee his intellectual childhood home and its bourgeois privilege to fight for justice. Party leader Hoederer is striving for a strategic alliance with the opposition – to the dissatisfaction of the radical party members. They decide to do away with him. To do something for once, Hugo takes on the job of assassinating Hoederer and moves with his wife Jessica into Hoederer’s house. Fuelled by revolutionary ideals, he meets an experienced political realist who captivates him, and causes Hugo’s principles to waver.

Sartre’s piece is a timeless political thriller about power, values, and humanity; and a reflection on trust and fear, responsibility and freedom in the (social) structures and (political) systems in which we live. It now lies in the hands of Jan Bosse, who lends the philosophical text a playful staging, and who returns to the Schauspielhaus after six years. It was also here, where the new translation by Hinrich Schmidt-Henkel is now being premiered, that the German-language premiere of SCHMUTZIGE HÄNDE [DIRTY HANDS] took place on 6 November 1948.

Trigger warning: This production contains depictions of violence.
Sensory warning: Loud noises and sound, smoke/fog, brief moment of floodlighting in one scene.

Audio guide
Introduction: David Heiligers, Co-Lead Dramaturg/Deputy Artistic Director

Steven Sowah, Carol Schuler © Armin Smailovic

Steven Sowah, Carol Schuler, Lena Schwarz © Armin Smailovic

Gottfried Breitfuss © Armin Smailovic

Wolfram Koch, Carol Schuler © Armin Smailovic

Carol Schuler, Thomas Wodianka, Steven Sowah © Armin Smailovic

Lena Schwarz, Gottfried Breitfuss, Thomas Wodianka © Armin Smailovic

Steven Sowah, Carol Schuler © Armin Smailovic

Steven Sowah, Lena Schwarz © Armin Smailovic

Wolfram Koch © Armin Smailovic

Wolfram Koch, Carol Schuler © Armin Smailovic

Thomas Wodianka © Armin Smailovic

Lena Schwarz, Steven Sowah, Carol Schuler © Armin Smailovic

Thomas Wodianka, Carol Schuler, Steven Sowah, Gottfried Breitfuss © Armin Smailovic

Wolfram Koch, Gottfried Breitfuss, Steven Sowah, Carol Schuler, Thomas Wodianka © Armin Smailovic

Carol Schuler © Armin Smailovic

Wolfram Koch, Steven Sowah © Armin Smailovic

Steven Sowah © Armin Smailovic

Lena Schwarz © Armin Smailovic

Gottfried Breitfuss, Thomas Wodianka © Armin Smailovic

Thomas Wodianka, Gottfried Breitfuss, Wolfram Koch © Armin Smailovic

Steven Sowah © Armin Smailovic

Wolfram Koch © Armin Smailovic

Carol Schuler, Steven Sowah © Armin Smailovic

Steven Sowah, Wolfram Koch © Armin Smailovic

Wolfram Koch, Carol Schuler, Steven Sowah © Armin Smailovic

Steven Adjei Sowah
With
Wolfram Koch
With
Carol Schuler
With
Tabita Johannes
With
Thomas Wodianka
With
Gottfried Breitfuss
With
Staging
Stage design
Costume design
Music and Sound design
Live music
Dramaturgy
Artistic Mediation T&S
Director’s Assistant
Stage design assistance
Costume design assistance
Assistant directing intern
Natascha Lea Wyer
Stage design intern
Doreen Härich
Alek Affentranger (Theaterjahr)
Costume design intern
Tessa Korevaar
Inspection
Aleksandar Sascha Dinevski
Soufflage
János Stefan Buchwardt
Surtitle translation
Sinikka Weber
Surtitle coordination
Eva Salom (Panthea)
Surtitle operators
Joël Abevi
Victoria Engler
Maya Scharf
Holly Werner
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© Lisa Gertsch

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