The Manual
Premiered on 3.10.2025 at Dampfzentrale Bern
Synopsis
Conceived as a haunting dreamscape unfolding in three acts—Paradise, Purgatory, and Inferno—through an accessible yet provocative metaphor, the performance critically examines our fragile human condition in an era marked by polarization and escalating conflicts, exposing how human beings destroy one another due to imaginary stories that reside in our minds.
In a joyful folk community, a group of spirited people eagerly awaits a mysterious device promised to bring them happiness. The air buzzes with excitement, imagining the joy it could add to their lives.
When the package arrives, their excitement turns sacred as they find the beautifully bound manual, which they begin worshipping. Curiosity becomes obsession as they dissect every page, interpreting its instructions differently. Playful speculation turns into fierce debates, then heated arguments, each person convinced that their understanding is the key to happiness.
In their desperation, the community spirals into chaos. Friends turn against each other, and joy turns to all-out war, transforming the stage into a horrifying war scene. In their rage, they destroy each other entirely, leaving nothing behind. The idyllic setting collapses into a battlefield, and in the frenzy, everything is destroyed—everything except the precious device, which remains untouched inside its box. They will never get the chance to unbox it, and as a result, we—the audience—will forever be left wondering what was inside the box.
Credits
Concept / Direction: Omar Ghayatt · Performance: Emma Murray, Giulin Stäubli, Maria Rebecca Sautter, Maria Demandt, Sofia Zambrano Olivares, Shebli Albau · Dramaturge: Noëmi Steffen · Movement coach: Emma Murray · Scenography: Omar Ghayatt · Costume: Ernestyna Orlowska · Soundscape / Music: Wendelin Schmidt-Ott · Light: Demian Jakob · Assistant Director: Aline Bissig · Exterior Eye: Magdalena Nadolska · Production: Studio Moroni · Production Management: Das Theater Kolleg · Co-production: Dampfzentrale Bern & Festival D-CAF, Cairo.
© Rob Lewis