Falk Richter is a playwright at the heart of his time. Born in 1969 in Hamburg, he belongs to a generation that has learned to be distrustful of our civilization. The word “progress” no longer comes so easily. Recurring crises and growing inequalities only highlight the deep flaws in our society. In his earlier plays, Richter excelled at capturing crucial moments of everyday life – particularly in the Western world (at work, while traveling, during communication). It is in these moments that the true nature of our existence is revealed.

Conceived as a “work in progress,” My secret garden tells the autobiographical confession of the author. A young-generation German turns inward in self-reflection. Is it a diary? Or autofiction? “I take myself,” he says, “my life, my thoughts, my memories, as material. This is the material from which dramatic fiction is born. Fiction and reality blur together, become inseparable.”

Without leniency, he offers a personal view of Germany, where – in his eyes – everything collides with the Nazi past. Against a backdrop of Wagnerian melodies, Richter points to the invasion of capitalism, which replaces every form of thought – whatever it may be. The play then shifts into a three-part score, where the author splits himself into parts to find a title for his drama and analyze his relationship to theatre. Without hiding, he becomes the subject of his own play.

Language: French

From the German by Anne Monfort

L’Arche
ISBN 2851817418
96 pages, paperback