Struggle at the Sinkhole

Premiere 27. 3. 2024, Prešernovo gledališče Kranj & 20. 5. 2024, Mestno gledališče Ptuj

 Running time 2 hours, no intermission.

Post-performance discussion with the artists.

Director Jernej Lorenci

Choreographer and assistant director Gregor Luštek
Dramaturg Marinka Poštrak
Set designer Branko Hojnik
Costume designer Belinda Radulović
Composer Branko Rožman
Language editor Maja Cerar
Lighting designer Nejc Plevnik
Sound designers Matija Zelič, Stefan Gladović
Make-up artist Matej Pajntar
Assistant dramaturg Tilen Oblak
Assistant to the composer Jure Žavbi

Cast

Darja Reichman, Živa Selan, Blaž Setnikar/Gregor Luštek as guest, Branko Jordan as guest

Varja Mihajlović Cerar and Daša Selan sing on the recording of Zdaj smo delo dokončali

Prežihov Voranc’s texts Struggle at the Sinkhole, Tear-drops and The Self-sown are considered Slovenian literary classics and their film adaptations have helped to etch them deep into the historical memory of the Slovenian nation. The poignant story of the Dihur family, struggling to survive on their harsh, muddy patch of land is literally written into our genes. Today, the cult story also allows us a reading that reveals all those “overlooked”, not yet fully articulated layers of this unbelievably cruel story.

The story of the Dihurs is thus not just a story from some distant rural past: it is very much one we still live today, and increasingly so amid the social distress, albeit in perhaps a little more sophisticated and covert form. The violence that occurs as a consequence of the struggle to survive, and of the powerlessness when fighting the land and bureaucracy – be it in a village or a town – always finds its way to be cruel. Director Jernej Lorenci touched upon the theme of cruelty and the struggle to survive in his sensitive and radical staging approach.