Four Walls and a Roof

UK PREMIERE

Lebanese artist duo Lina Majdalanie and Rabih Mroué weave together the story of McCarthy era censorship and modern-day repression of free speech.

In 1933, German playwright Bertolt Brecht fled Berlin, eventually settling in the United States, where he would be tried by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) for communist affiliations.  

Ten years ago, artist duo Lina Majdalanie and Rabih Mroué emigrated from Beirut to Berlin. Their new play weaves these two stories together, exploring historical and contemporary censorship of free speech, the rise of the far right, and exile.

Accompanied by a pianist playing songs from Brecht and Hanns Eisler, Majdalanie and Mroué bring their characteristic humour to question whether our liberal democracies are truly free, or if we’re all sitting in a gilded cage. 

Programme

Performed in English, with German songs with English surtitles 

Cast & Credits

CastCloseOpen
  • Henrik Kairies, Lina Majdalanie & Rabih Mroué
Production CreditsCloseOpen
  • Lina Majdalanie & Rabih Mroué
    Directors
  • Lina Majdalanie, Rabih Mroué & Bertolt Brecht
    Writers
  • Sandra Noeth
    Dramaturg
  • Hanns Eisler & Henrik Kairies
    Composers
  • Thomas Köppel
    Lighting Designer & Technical Director
  • Songs by Bertolt Brecht & Hanns Eisler
CreditsCloseOpen
  • Co-produced by Festival d’Automne à Paris, CENTQUATRE-PARIS, Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm, Residenz-Schauspiel, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berliner Festspiele within the 'Performing Exiles' festival, Kampnagel Internationale Kulturfabrik, Kustenfestivaldesarts & Forum Freies Theater.

    Supported within the framework of the Alliance of International Production Houses by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

    Artists residence: Centquatre – Mousonturm

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Dates & Times