The Day Before

The revelry on the eve of the great war is like a dance in the face of downfall. The Day Before takes us into the midst of this shimmering prelude to the apocalypse in which audience, performers, percussionists and a chorus of young women become companions in destiny. Homer’s Illiad, the ur-myth of martial force, is the blueprint for an ecstatic celebration on the brink. 

Together with director Christiane Jatahy and writer Rosa Montero, Brigitta Muntendorf scrutinise the ancient epic of heroic male violence, following the visionary reading of the French philosopher Simone Weil – can there be a future without all-powerful rescuers? How can the hope for healing and a better future be kept alive in the face of ruin? 

The creative use of 3D audio, AI voice-cloning and live camerawork concentrate voices, sounds, movement and images into an immersive space that takes on its own substance between fiction and reality. 

Looming danger generates a vibrant energy, a sense of political community that makes a different and better future seem possible. For The Day Before isn’t just a warning of catastrophe but a ritual for the future – a reminder that every transformation begins with a decision. What will have been is up to us.

Premiere & Touring