The physical theater performance An Ordinary Day in the Life of the Dancer Gregor Samsa, a stage adaptation of Franz Kafka's novella The Metamorphosis, will be performed in Shanghai this June. Tickets are now on sale.

This production marks a milestone in the career of Eugenio Barba, a renowned master of European stagecraft and founder of the theater laboratory Odin Teatret. As a pioneer of theater anthropology, Barba seeks to forge a deep connection with audiences through physical presence and energy. An Ordinary Day in the Life of the Dancer Gregor Samsa retains his minimalist aesthetic while unleashing a striking spirit of innovation.

The performance intertwines three parallel storylines: fragments of Kafka's own life, the struggles of Gregor Samsa, the protagonist of The Metamorphosis, and the daily routine of a fictional dancer also named Gregor Samsa. These three threads intertwine and build on one another, gradually forming a unique theatrical language through movement, repetition, sound, visual rhythm, and spatial relationships.

Invited to the 11th Wuzhen Theatre Festival in 2024, the production received an overwhelming response and sold out quickly. With just one dancer, a robot vacuum cleaner, and precise lighting and sound design, the piece constructs a complex and suffocating inner world.

If you go

• When: June 12 and 13, 7:30 pm; June 14, 2 pm
• Where: Theatre Young, No 1155 Kongjiang Road, Yangpu district
• Duration: 75 minutes (no intermission)
• Language: Performed in Italian with Chinese and English subtitles
• Ticket prices: 100 yuan ($14.66) to 380 yuan
• Ticket purchase: Available through the official ticketing mini program (search for "YOUNG剧场微票务" in WeChat)

Source: WeChat account of Theatre Young at "THEATREYOUNG"