Slovenia Bulletin: Dramatization of Alamut to premier in Salzburg

sreda, februar 09, 2005

Dramatization of Alamut to premier in Salzburg

July will see the premier of a dramatization of the important Slovene novel Alamut, written in 1938 by Vladimir Bartol. The book is set in medieval Persia and deals with a radical Muslim sect that many present-day critics liken to Al Quaeda. Particularly after the attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States and the declaration of the "War on Terrorism," Alamut has been thrust back into the spotlight and is attracting increasing international attention. The first English-language translation of the book published in the United States appeared at the end of last year.

Now, the story is set to hit the stage for the first time ever as part of this year’s Salzburg Festival in Austria. The script was adapted from Bartol’s novel by writer, director and Slovene National Theatre (SNG) director Dušan Jovanović and will be directed by Sebastijan Horvat. Both the Salzburg Festival and Ljubljana’s SNG are producing the show. It will be featured in a competitive program called "Young Directors’ Project," the grand prize of which is a Max Reinhard pen and EUR 13,000 [SN / 03.02.05 / World Premiere of Drama "Alamut" in Salzburg in July].