The Cigarette Kingdom

Where do all the men who „just pop out for cigarettes“ and then never return actually disappear to? In a claustrophobic, dystopian production, Klara Rabl and Marc Carnal create a secret, subterranean realm where all these world-weary types live out their lonely existences until the end of their days, enjoying the freedom of imprisonment. „The Cigarette Kingdom“ tells the story of Frieda Polak, who accidentally enters this gloomy refuge and turns its inhabitants‘ worldview upside down.

The play by director Klara Rabl and writer Marc Carnal is based — with kind permission — on an idea by Clemens Setz. „The Cigarette Kingdom“ satirizes the promises of escapist male lives with the seemingly absurd idea of ​​an underworld for failures—complete with evening gymnastics, the true story of Diddl the Mouse, and hauntingly beautiful musical numbers.

Director: Klara Rabl
Writer: Marc Carnal
Set and Costumes: Sophie Tautorus
AD: Lisa Rodlauer
Ensemble: Karola Niederhuber, Martin Hemmer, Alexander Mitterer, Florian Tröbinger

Premiere at WERK X-Petersplatz

April 21st 2022

„Director Klara Rabl lets the magnificent four-member ensemble glide into increasingly bizarre situations without much theatrical fuss, and after everything has been said and the daily prescribed evening gymnastics have been completed, the dream finally seems to come to an end.“

Angela Heide, Wiener Zeitung (27.4.2022)

„All the events are presented in a way that they are to be taken seriously even if they are completely crazy. The acting is also never over the top. With the sets by Sophie Tautorus, director Klara Rabl manages to create an intimate production which is indeed at times humorous but also thought-provoking as it questions whether an underground world of this kind is better than real life.“

Ludovico Lucchesi Palli, playsinternational.org.uk (22.4.2022)

Funded by Kulturabteilung der Stadt Wien, Bundeskanzleramt Kunst & Kultur. 

Thanks to: EVN, Klavierhaus A. Förstl, Peter Asamer, Josef Dörrer, Oskar Dörrer, Manfred Gram, Max Horejs, Gabriel Kralik, Andreas Leikauf, Reinhard Prenn, Norbert Rabl, Norbert Rabl jun., Karlheinz Schmidt, Stefan Soder, Stefan Zach.