Kleist in Thun
A reading in a setting, Connecting Principle Event 2012, 13-14 November, Newcastle University

'He wants to abandon himself to the entire catastrophe of being a poet: the best thing for me to be destroyed as quickly as possible.'
Robert Walser

Kleist in Thun is an experimental theatre performance, contrasting elements of theatre, life art and storytelling. Where does the reading end and where does the performance start? Gabriele Heller responds with this piece to the work of Swiss writer Robert Walser (1878-1956). In his short story Robert Walser draws a portrait of the German dramatist Heinrich von Kleist who lived in the Swiss Alps in 1802. The story culminates in the question of how to sustain a life as an artist. In the portrait of Kleist, Walser also unveils his own life as a writer.

Robert Walser: Text
Gabriele Heller: Concept and performance