Vienna Festival Weeks redefines theatre with raw, real-life storytelling
The Vienna Festival Weeks recently closed its Milo Rau retrospective with a bold new production. Titled The Greatest Play of All Time, the premiere followed a revival of Rimini Protokoll’s 100% Vienna, a piece that first debuted in 2010. Both works aimed to reflect the city’s diverse voices through innovative storytelling.
The retrospective also included Myths of Everyday Life, a project built from 100 interviews with Viennese residents. These performances explored the blurred lines between reality and theatre, blending personal stories with staged drama. Rimini Protokoll’s 100% Vienna ran for two and a half hours, weaving together real-life narratives with fictional elements. The ensemble of eight performers included actors Johanna Wokalek and Bernardo Arias Porras. To heighten authenticity, the production incorporated non-professional actors as living stage props.
Swedish playwright Mattias Andersson shaped the script by asking each interviewee about a pivotal moment in their life. The result was a polyphonic portrait of the city, with 62% of participants holding at least a Matura (high school diploma). Many came from the Neubau district, offering a snapshot of Vienna’s socio-economic mix.
The third act stood out for its raw honesty. It featured unscripted dialogues, including a moving exchange between a 17-year-old and their parents. Director Milo Rau described the overall effect as a 'symphony' of voices, capturing the city’s collective psyche.
The retrospective’s finale, The Greatest Play of All Time, continued Rau’s exploration of reality and fiction. Like its predecessor, it relied on real testimonies to challenge traditional theatre boundaries. The Vienna Festival Weeks retrospective brought together documentary theatre and staged performance. Rimini Protokoll’s 100% Vienna and Rau’s new work highlighted the city’s stories through a mix of professional and non-professional contributors. The productions left audiences with a layered, human-centred view of Vienna’s identity. Both pieces will likely influence future discussions on how theatre can reflect society.
