The Flying Carpet: San Francisco – Capri and back

A 58-year-old man from San Francisco is travelling to the Old World on the ship ‘Atlantis’ for two years with his wife and daughter. He has worked hard – or rather, had others work for him – and now he wants to enjoy life. From Naples, the journey continues to the island of Capri, where his fate unfolds with astonishing inevitability… It is not without reason that the story, set in October 1915, bears the motto from the Book of Revelation: ‘Woe, woe to you, great city of Babylon, you mighty city!’

Ivan Alexeyevich Bunin (1870–1953) carried on the classical Russian narrative traditions of Turgenev, Tolstoy and Chekhov, and was a friend of Maxim Gorky, with whom he spent the winter months on Capri from 1912 to 1914. In 1933, Bunin became the first Russian writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. However, the anti-Bolshevik, living in exile in Paris, was already stateless at the time.

This impressive story – eerie in its laconic style – depicts, with sarcastic humour, the world of the rich and their subordinates on a winter sea voyage to the dream island of Capri. Daniel Fueter, who last season brought Dürrenmatt’s *Durcheinandertal* to life, will lend his voice to this rediscovery, accompanied by his congenial co-stars Vera Kappeler and Peter Conradin Zumthor. With their distinctive musical sounds, they trace the atmosphere of Ivan Bunin’s story: waltzes and tangos are played on the ship, as well as a ragtime, followed by a tarantella and Neapolitan songs in Capri.

This performance is part of the series ‘The Flying Carpet – Eight Literary and Musical Island Journeys’.
A season ticket is also available for this series. Eight performances for the season ticket price of CHF 240. Bookings at info@theater-rigiblick.ch