Vienna celebrates Duras: World premiere of the gripping Musée Dura finally there!

Vienna celebrates Duras: World premiere of the gripping Musée Dura finally there!

In the heart of Vienna there is a departure to celebrate: the Wiener Festwochen in the museum district focus on a very special theater evening. On June 21, 2025, the audience experienced the premiere of Musée Dura , an informative staging based on the texts of the French writer Marguerite Duras. Directed by the talented Julien Gosselin, who is already known for his gripping implementations.

Marguerite Duras, who was born in 1914 and died in 1996, always understood to explore complex issues such as love and violence in her works. A feeling of darkness and intensity runs through many of their stories. Duras would have celebrated her 111th birthday this year, which also seals the performance as a tribute to her extraordinary life's work.

dramatic revival

Musée Dura is more than just a play; It is a Duras marathon that consists of eleven shorter works. Each piece has a period of less than an hour and is performed by fifteen young actors. The spectators are invited to visit the performance for two or more hours and can come and go as you like. The Wiener Festwochen describe the staging as an experience that addresses the essence of love and violence in an urgent way.

The pieces are divided into five sections. The first block offers the introductory piece "The man in the hallway", which is told by an impressive monologue, followed by the autobiographical flashback "the lover" that takes up the youth of Duras' in Indochina. The technical staging uses micros and lively video walls that visually highlight the key elements of the stories.

artistic interaction

The collaboration of Julien Gosselin and his ensemble from fifteen actors promises to shed light on the dark and painful aspects of Duras' work. The middle section of the performance includes a shortened version of the play "Savannah Bay" and is visually supported by filming staff. The audience can look forward to a dark atmosphere and a mystical end - a significant deviation from previous productions, such as those with Hilde Krahl.

This profound approach, as described in Theater Film , reflects the social relevance of Duras' writings and makes it clear that even in a modern staging the power of its subjects continues. Duras' best known works are not only in the literature, but also on stage, and with this event, the influence of the writer is impressively revived.

The Viennese festival weeks promise with Musée Dura an unforgettable journey through Marguerite Duras' world, which will captivate the hearts and thoughts of the spectators with every appearance. It is an event that attracts theater lovers and curious equally and marks the brilliant return of Duras to the Viennese stages.