A physical theatre production inspired by Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, this work follows a dancer named Gregor Samsa as his obsessive pursuit of perfection begins to blur the line between performance and reality. The production is an invited show of the 11th Wuzhen Theatre Festival and features a multilingual staged performance with subtitles.

About the Performance

This physical theatre work is adapted from Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and weaves together three narrative threads: Kafka’s own life (including his family relationship as reflected in Letter to His Father), the fictional story of Gregor Samsa, and a contemporary dancer who shares the same name.

The dancer Gregor Samsa is preparing for a major debut while becoming increasingly consumed by repetition, discipline, and the pursuit of perfection. As the performance progresses, the boundary between stage and life begins to dissolve, leading to a gradual collapse between control and chaos, work and identity.

The production originated in 2015 at Odin Teatret in Holstebro, Denmark. It is the first time Eugenio Barba has directed a work outside his company without working with its ensemble actors.

Performer

Lorenzo Gleijeses portrays Gregor Samsa, a 40-year-old dancer on the verge of an important debut. His performance focuses on physical expression, depicting the character’s obsessive drive toward perfection and his psychological unraveling.

Lorenzo Gleijeses is an Italian theatre and film actor who began performing at a young age and has collaborated with major international theatre figures, including Eugenio Barba and Eimuntas Nekrošius. He received the Ubu Award for Best New Italian Actor in 2006.

Excerpts from Press Review

Critics describe the performance as a physically intense and expressive work built around repetition, anxiety, and the psychological pressure of performance. Reviews highlight its claustrophobic atmosphere, strong physical language, and the way it explores the tension between artistic discipline and mental collapse.

Why Go

This production stands out as a physical theatre interpretation of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, combining biography, fiction, and contemporary performance practice into a single narrative structure. It is an invited production of the 11th Wuzhen Theatre Festival and features direction from Eugenio Barba, a major figure in modern theatre theory. The performance focuses heavily on physical expression and explores the psychological cost of perfection and performance pressure through a tightly structured solo portrayal.