Anna and Her Anger

Christine Nöstlinger

Dance piece based on the eponymous book

Synopsis

Anna has a serious problem: an anger management problem, to be exact. Anna’s anger is difficult to control. It just appears. Without any warning, Anna’s cheeks flush, her hair suddenly looks like hedgehog quills, her eyes glint maliciously, and her entire body rages and trembles. But that is not all – Anna can’t help screaming, crying, swearing, stomping her feet, shaking her fists, biting, kicking and spitting. She is helpless in the face of her giant anger. But Anna does not want to be angry. After countless attempts to drive away her anger or not to let any outbursts happen at all, she tries to avoid it. But can you really avoid being angry? Will Anna find a way to make peace with her anger at last?

Christine Nöstlinger is one of the most important representatives of Austrian literature for children and young adults. The illustrated book “Anna und die Wut” (“Anna and Her Anger”) is one of her most widely read works.

Kate Watson and Josef Vesely, together with two dancers, turn the classic children’s book into a whirlwind dance piece full of emotions. Movement and music intertwine, creating outbursts of anger that change, ebb and rise anew. The two choreographers join forces with their long-term collaborator Eva Musil, whose stage and costume designs provide a versatile space for movement, sound and emotions.