ErosAntEros and Laibach Collaborate on Brecht's 'Santa Giovanna dei Macelli' at POLIS Festival

The Italian theatre company ErosAntEros, founded by director Davide Sacco and actress-playwright Agata Tomšič, premiered their multilingual production of Bertolt Brecht's 'Santa Giovanna dei Macelli' on April 24 at Teatro Alighieri in Ravenna, as a prologue to the seventh edition of POLIS Teatro Festival (May 7-12). The show, created in collaboration with the Slovenian cult band Laibach, features ten original songs based on Brecht's texts performed live. Laibach, formed in 1980 near Ljubljana, also handled sound design and have spoken roles. The production is co-produced by ERT (Emilia Romagna Teatro), Slovensko Mladinsko Gledališče of Ljubljana, and Théâtre National du Luxembourg. The festival's German Focus includes performances by She She Pop, Rimini Protokoll, Swiss artist Mats Staub, Barletti-Waas, and Le Cerbottane. Tomšič noted the relevance of Brecht's critique of capitalism and financial systems, linking it to contemporary issues like the Suviana power plant explosion and general strikes. The company's artistic research since 2010 combines political engagement with formal attention.