20.-22. and 25.-30. September 2006

Danube House (Karolinská 650, Praha 8 - Karlín) 20.00 

Who are those people who have immigrated to our country? What customs have they brought with them? Why are they so different? And who are we ourselves?  

The theatrical performance Strange Neighbour builds loosely on last year’s project from the Archa Theatre “At 11.20 I Will Be Leaving You!”, which played with huge success at the Bělá pod Bezdězem refugee camp, and was watched by almost 1600 people in total. In contrast to last year’s project, which offered ordinary spectators the opportunity to enter the refugee camp and tried to portray refugees as talented and creative personalities, Strange Neighbour aims to uncover the fates of a few specific individuals as they gradually integrate into the reality of life in the Czech Republic.

What experiences do those refugees who are granted asylum and are now trying to become our neighbours go through? What must they give up, how must they adapt, and how do we have to adapt so that we no longer refer to them as ‘strange neighbours’? 

The show is the product of close collaboration between professional artists, asylum-seekers and performers from the hip-hop scene. The real-life stories of refugees Marina, Gugar, Jing-Lu and Khuppi are brought to life through superb and accomplished music, in which Gugar’s Armenian accordion, Cossiga’s singing and beat box and Dowis’ rap all intermingle. We can also look forward to a visually powerful show - Director Jana Svobodová has engaged the German stage-designer and multimedia artist Dominik Rinnhofer, who has previously collaborated with, among others, the world-renowned Canadian Director Robert Lepage. 

The location of the performance, the super-modern administrative building Danube House in Prague’s Karlín district, also plays a significant role in the show. With its futuristic environment, unencumbered with tradition and prejudice, it acts as a catalyst, bringing together businessmen, refugees in their original professions, theatregoers and ordinary spectators. 

Concept and direction: Jana SvobodováMusic: Ivan Acher and Michal Nejtek

Sociological collaboration and audiovisual effects: Ivo BystřičanStaring: Petra Lustigová, Marina Ekazeva Movlakchan, Štěpanka Glogarová, Jing Lu, Cossiga, Khupi, Dowis, and Josef Rosen.

 Developed in Archa Theatre’s Archa.lab 

The performance will take place as part of the Czech government campaign United Against Racism and in cooperation with the Administration of Refugee Facilities

We would like to thank Europolis Real Estate Asset Management s.r.o. for their support.

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