A play by Sam Holcroft | German translation by Lucas Rosenstengel
Advance ticket sales start: 09 June 2026
The evening begins with a wedding celebration and a warning: “This performance is being staged without the ministry’s permission. Those of you who weren’t aware of that would do better to leave now.”
Those who stay will see a play within a play: the story of car mechanic Adem Nariman. He has written his first play, “The 9th Floor,” about life in his apartment building, and is summoned to see Čelik, the director of the Ministry of Culture's censorship department. Čelik has recognized Adem’s talent as a writer. He believes his potential can be harnessed—provided Adem writes in a state-approved, patriotic manner instead of speaking truths.
To “support” Adem, he goes through the work with him and his assistant Mei, offering criticism, making suggestions, and issuing threats. Finally, he introduces him to Bax, the nation’s preeminent author, whose propagandistic plays are celebrated throughout the country. Čelik is obsessed with theater and loves to instruct, but he also lends his assistant forbidden Shakespeare plays and, during evening walks, teaches her the importance of suppressing one’s own opinion.
Soon, however, the theatergoers realize that the story is not as simple as it initially seems. Premiering in London in 2023, Sam Holcroft’s play unfolds on multiple levels. The audience watches the forbidden performance, all the while having to keep a lookout for the secret police just like the ensemble, and pretend they are at a wedding.
This is a continuous multi-day event
