Milo Rau is renowned for his radical political plays, both in format and content. As the new artistic director of the Vienna Festival, he brings a fresh perspective to the event putting everyone on trial: the Austrian government, the right-wing Freedom Party, and even himself. “Vienna must burn!” the 47-year-old from Bern called out to the audience when he proclaimed the “Free Republic of Vienna” at the Vienna Festival. Rau’s staged revolution is backed by the “Council of the Republic”, a body of 100 members that holds weekly hearings. The national anthem of his new republic starts with the words: “Go home, capitalisti!” So far, the bank sponsoring the event has not complained. The Vienna Festival, a renowned cultural event featuring theatre plays, opera and dance performances over five weeks, takes an intriguing turn this year. Under the direction of Rau, visitors can experience “show trials” where his newly created republic holds court over Austria. It all happens in a courtroom ...
