CYPRUS: «Fear Industry» – 32 Operatic acts for stage and real Life

This new performative work intertwines traditional theatre with elements from opera and Stand-up performance to project concepts of real and imagined fear perceived in today's society. The performance, staged with two actors, one soprano, and Live Arias and Songs by Händel, Purcell, Taverner and Wolf, Pärt, proposes a "living archive", combining personal stories, analytical context, and historic speeches in a unique theatrical work of art. The show (use of performance twice) sheds light on the origins of fear and the social, political and cultural motivation for its amplification and manipulation.

“The atmospherically dense performance places us in a vigil state of recognising a culture of fear everywhere in all its glorification and with all its personal, political and cultural dimension… Wieland manages to move this performance in the category of art as a vehicle of reawakening.” –Christina Georghiou, ANEF, Vol. 52

The performance distils historic speeches, personal stories, analytical context, and
YouTube-confessions into a pervasive and penetrating cocktail of intimate accounts and public proclamations. We now fear anything from killer bees to drug abusers, wild fires to paedophiles, deadly diseases, online spying, the avian flu, old age, mad cows, immigrants, anthrax, wrinkles, environmental collapse, and-let us not forget-terrorists.

“The title reveals the ambitious nature of Wieland’s staging, once again in collaboration with award-winning actor Marios Ioannou and Elena Kallinikou in a fascinating alternation of characters and circumstances.”

Building on the original performance presented at the Cyprus Premiere at RIALTO Theatre in May 2014, the invitation to the 1st «Cyprus Fringe Festival»will launch the larger «Fear Industry Project»(2015/16), which extends to 6 participating European Cities/Theatres (Amsterdam, Madrid, Zurich, Athens, Stuttgart, London), who will collaborate with the Cyprus team to expand on the theme of fear, incorporating the work of one additional performer speaking about fears of and in the language of the participating country.

Participants/Artists: Achim Wieland (Direction/Idea), Dramaturgy/Script: With the Performers, Marios Ioannou, Elena Kallinikou (Performers), Marianna Suri (Soprano) and Guest Performer Oya Akin, Lilia Khatchatrian (Piano), Sossee Eskidjian (Set,Costume), Giorgos Lazoglou (Light Design), Panos Bartzis (Sound/Musical Advisor).

Place: Venetian Moat behind the «Home for Cooperation»(Ledra Palace)
Date: Saturday, October 18th, 2014
Time: 21:00 (Main Stage)
Video Trailer: https://vimeo.com/105717995