Reviews

[…] it is ajerky dance, movements dictated by suffering, by the search for approval and the need to demonstrate. The recurring nightmare is its metamorphosis into an insect and the unheard alarm on the day of the debut. The show makes the atmosphere in the room and in the small world of the dancer claustrophobic, tightening more and more around him to the point of imploding. The music

undergoes an acceleration, the lights shatter, while his personality goes towards deconstruction. That's where the escape begins.

Raffaella Roversi, Santinaria.it

Kafka enters into the claustrophobic ménage of a hyperkinetic performer whose anxiety about his debut, combined with a perverse dedication to the theatrical profession, has transformed into the alter-ego of the cleaning robot with which he shares the scenic space. Lorenzo Gleijeses is Samsa, insecure and perfectionist, who never stops rehearsing, inside or outside the theater. [...] Curious and original mixture of physical expression and spoken word, the work, that has the imprint of the Third Theater of which Eugenio Barba is the very Master, is perturbing but also arouses empathy, because the story of Gregor, who we hope is at least a little pacified in the end, is the story of everyone, unable to refuse yet another commitment or to enjoy any unproductive time.

Maura Sesia, La Repubblica

About An Ordinary Day in the Life of the Dancer Gregor Samsa

This production is born from a work about the world of Franz Kafka, in which three different narrative cores intersect one another: some biographical elements of Kafka himself; the story of the central character in his Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa; and the story of an imaginary dancer of the same name, who remains a prisoner of obsessive, repetitive rehearsal for an imminent debut. The work started in 2015 at Holstebro, in the Danish group's headquarters, and it is the first production directed by Eugenio Barba outside of Odin Teatret and without his actors. The project is produced by Gitiesse Artisti Riuniti (Naples) in collaboration with Odin Teatret (DK). After two previews in 2018 (in June at the International Naples Theatre Festival, and in December at the National Theater of Tuscany in Florence), the show debuted in 2019 at the TPE Foundation/Teatro Astra (in Turin), which gave great support to the production, then presented at the Teatro dell'Arte-Triennale in Milan at Teatro India/ Theatre of Rome and at the main Italian Theatre Institutions. The show—almost always sold out—was received with great excitement by national and international critics. The 2018/19 season ended at the Grotowski Fest in Warsaw.

Credits

Playwrights/Directors: Eugenio Barba, Lorenzo Gleijeses, Julia Varley

Cast: Lorenzo Gleijeses

Sound/Lights: Mirto Baliani

Choreographic Elements: Michele Di Stefano

Dramaturgical Consultant: Chiara Lagani

Set Design: Roberto Crea 

Assistant Director: Manolo Muoio

Voice-Overs: Eugenio Barba, Geppy Gleijeses, Maria Alberta Navello, Julia Varley

Production: Gitiesse Artisti Riuniti

In Collaboration With: Odin Teatret

Chinese Script Translation: Chen Guangyu

About Eugenio Barba,Lorenzo Gleijeses and Julia Varley

Eugenio Barba is one of the protagonists in the history of Theatre in the second half of the twentieth century. His activity, which has been an international point of reference for over half a century, has spanned many fields: the artistic creation of productions, theoretical reflection, pedagogy and the transmission of experience, the preservation of historical memory, the scientific study of the actor/dancer's technique, the use of theatre "outside the theatre," in social and cross-cultural contexts throughout the world, with the aim of activating relationships between different cultures and ethnic groups.

Lorenzo Gleijeses made his theatre debut when he was 10 years old, in 1991, with his father Geppy and the great Italian actress Regina Bianchi. He has worked with many international masters, such as Eimuntas Nekrosius, Yoshi Oida, and Eugenio Barba. In 2006, he received the Ubu Award as Best New Italian Actor. He works in Theatre as well as in Cinema productions. His shows have been guests of some of the most major theatre spaces and festivals on the international scene.

Julia Varley, since 1976, has been an iconic actress of Odin Teatret (DK). She is also active in the fields of directing, teaching, organizing and writing. In 1986, she participated in the creation of The Magdalena Project, a network of women in contemporary theater. She directs the Transit Theater Festival in Holstebro (DK), and is editor of The Open Page, a magazine dedicated to the work of women in theater.

About Gitiesse Artisti Riuniti & Odin Teatret

Gitiesse Artisti Riuniti was founded in 1983 and is one of the most important Italian Theatre production companies, with an annual average of 120 people employed including artists; permanent, technical and administrative employees; 300 productions mounted in the most important Italian theatres as well as in the smallest centers of all the regions. The president and Artistic Director of the cooperative is Geppy Gleijeses, supported by Lorenzo Gleijeses for the Research Theatre. Some of the biggest names in theater and international culture have collaborated and continue to collaborate with GITIESSE, including: Alfredo Arias, Eugenio Barba, Liliana Cavani, Renato Guttuso, Dominique Sanda, Chloe Obolensky, Teho Teardo, Philippe Leroy, Julia Varley, Andrej Konchalovskij, Eimuntas Nekrosius, Lindsay Kemp, Nikolaj Karpov, Rafael Spregelburd, Cesar Brie, Antonio Rezza.

Odin Teatret was created in Oslo, Norway, in 1964, and moved to Holstebro (Denmark) in 1966, changing its name to Nordiskteaterlaboratorium/Odin Teatret. In December 2022 Odin Teatret and Eugenio Barba left Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium to continue their activities independently in Denmark and abroad. Odin Teatret's activities include Odin's own productions, presented on site and on tour in Denmark and abroad; teaching in Denmark and abroad; publication of magazines and books; production of educational films and videos. Odin Teatret has so far created 86 performances, performed in 67 countries and different social contexts. In 2024, Odin Teatret is celebrating its 60th anniversary with tours and activities in Mexico, Italy, Norway, Romania, Denmark, Greece, Brazil and at Wuzhen Theatre Festival.