Heiner Müller
Quartet
Quartet is a brutal 75-minute piece for two. Its characters engage in an escalating series of role plays in a war for love, sex, and power. Heiner Müller's reduced 1980 play adapts "Dangerous Liaisons", the classic 1782 French novel that exposed the decadence of pre-revolutionary France, and that was turned into multiple movies and TV series.
Vicomte de Valmont und die Marquise de Merteuil are aristocrats in pre-revolutionary France. When the revolution comes, they hide in a sealed room and are thus spared its violence. Centuries pass, the pair hangs on. Eventually, the third World War breaks out and the room turns into a bunker. Thrown onto each other, Valmont and Merteuil turn to perverted role plays to pass the time. In a spiral of violence the line between sexes and identities blur.
The play looks from the 18th-century setting onto our modern times. The production drastically dissects decadence and power structures in relationships and politics. Amidst the horrors there are moments of comedy.
Trailer (for the German version of the production)
Content Warning
The show contains nudity, blasphemy, depictions of sexualized violence and rape as well as descriptions of murder, incest, and suicide. Not suitable for viewers under 18.
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Reviews
- Cul Tu Re:: "Usually you'd have to know a lot in advance to understand this terrifc game of intrigue. This „Quartet“ works regardless - if it's played as intenely as Mo Sauer and MIke Sperber [...] Provocative, but very well worth seeing!
- Schwäbisches Tagblatt: "Under Henry Toma's direction, Mo Sauer and Mike Sperber play Merteuil and Valmont compellingly as the infernal duo that stalks and flirts round and round and croons half-crooked songs."
Programmheft
Performances
- Aug 4 thru Aug 9 at Paradise in Augustines at the Edinburgh fringe
Cast
| Merteuil | Mo Sauer |
|---|---|
| Valmont | Mike Sperber |
| Director | Henry Toma |
| Costumes | Antje Hoffman |
| Helena Sperber | |
| Choreography | Hollister Mathis-Masury |
| Trailer | Marc Schölermann |
| Music | Timo Dufner |
| Poster image | Michael Heiding |
| Photos | Diane Schreitmüller |
Pictures
