Leonce and Lena

Première 15 September 2016, Large Stage, Ljubljana City Theatre
Running time 1 hour. No interval.

Original title Leonce und Lena

Translator Jože Udovič
Director Mateja Koležnik
Set designer (concept) Raimund Orfeo Voight
Set designer (realisation) Marko Japelj
Costume designer Alan Hranitelj
Choreographer Matija Ferlin
Composer Mitja Vrhovnik Smrekar
Lighting designer Andrej Koležnik
Dramaturg Ira Ratej
Language consultant Maja Cerar

Cast
King Peter Boris Ostan
Leonce, Prince of Bum Jure Henigman
Valerio Matej Puc
Lena, Princess of Piddle Lena Jana Zupančič
Lena’s Governess Mirjam Korbar Žlajpah
Rosette Tjaša Železnik
The Master of Ceremonies, The Privy Council Gregor Čušin

Although seemingly a story about how one cannot escape his or her fate, Büchner’s comedy is imbued with social criticism. A young medical doctor, Georg Büchner was an ardent opponent of the self-centred elites who had lost touch with the world, for his opposition he was also persecuted. After all, he was the first playwright who chose a poor proletarian as the protagonist of his 1837 play Woyzeck. Therefore his comedy Leonce and Lena is also a satire mocking the very genre of comedy, mocking the authors who use laughter to tranquillise the audience instead of awake­ning it.