In the spotlight: Jakop Ahlbom’s award-winning play is coming to Italy and Serbia

Amsterdam-based, Swedish director Jakop Ahlbom brings the magic of silent movies to the stage with Lebensraum, an award-winning physical comedy inspired by the work of actor and filmmaker Buster Keaton. Last December Ahlbom's company performed Lebensraum in Taiwan, in January the play is shown in Italy and in February/March Lebensraum is performed in the Netherlands and Serbia. Ahlbom’s play Lebensraum is musically accompanied by the Dutch rock band Alamo Race Track. The band and Jakop Ahlbom have created a contemporary backdrop recalling 20s’ conventions.

Two men are living together in a single tiny room. They have ingenuously solved the problem of lack of space. All the furniture has multiple functions: the bed doubles as a piano and the bookcase serves as a fridge. And to compensate for the absence of a woman, the pair create a mechanical cleaning lady. But it soon becomes clear that she has no intention of quietly going about her chores. This doll has opinions of her own. Tensions mount, and the room starts getting smaller and smaller. The men’s latest invention may be their downfall.

Jakop Ahlbom (b. 1971, Sweden) has for many years been honing his trademark theatrical form, which unites theatre, mime, dance, music and the world of illusion. His fragmentary approach and unique blend of disciplines produces work that goes beyond theatre. Alhbom’s wide-ranging body of work since 2000 includes Vielfalt in 2006, De Architect in 2008, Innenschau in 2010, Horror in 2014, and Innenschau [Revisited] in 2017. His plays have been selected for various competitions and awards, including the Dutch Theatre Festival, Salzburger Festspiele and the Venice Biennale.

18 January 2020 at Teatro delle Muse Ancona, Italy

3 February 2020 at Theater aan het Vrijthof Maastricht, the Netherlands

4 February 2020 at De Bussel Oosterhout, the Netherlands

23 & 24 March 2020 at Belgrade Dance Festival, Belgrade, Serbia

For all performance dates, please check the full schedule here.

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