The Tilt of Peter Rosegger

The tranquillity of a quiet Styrian town is shattered when the statue of local literary hero Peter Rosegger starts tilting dangerously to the right. The mayor fears for the safety of the townspeople and a professor is sent from the capital to examine the problem. According to his analysis, the instability is caused by tectonic movements on a European scale. Local benefactor Wiesinger, who owns a family firm of long standing, is keen to avoid any public fuss as a UNESCO delegation is due to visit the town and declare the old town centre a World Heritage Site. The statue, meanwhile, proves unstable; a crane hoists the figure upright yet it tilts back overnight. Meanwhile, the excuses offered by the mayor, the emergency measures counselled by the professor and the discussion raging across social networks all serve to escalate the situation. Wiesinger believes that he has to step in to restore order, and that any means are justified.

The Tilt of Peter Rosegger is a delightful political satire that recasts the lurch to the right currently felt across Europe as a stone statue, before gleefully dissecting it. «Arzt has produced a compact play that uses comedy to investigate nationalism, xenophobia, personal sensitivities and complexes as well as vague notions of heimat that many feel are under threat.» (Der Standard)