About the work
“Furien” (“Furies”) is a play by the Swiss writer and playwright Martina Clavadetscher, who received the Swiss Book Prize in 2021 for her novel “Die Erfindung des Ungehorsams”. She wrote it as a commission for the Vienna Burgtheater; the world premiere, directed by Fritzi Wartenberg, is scheduled for 28 January 2027 on the theatre's main stage. Alongside the ensemble, community performers take part, with their scenes developed by Anna Manzano.
Plot
The play takes up the ancient myth of the Erinyes, who at the end of Aeschylus' “Oresteia” become the Eumenides when a court of law replaces blood revenge. In Clavadetscher's version the goddesses of vengeance have been out of work ever since, because the law has taken over their task. They cannot settle into their new role, and since the courts run by men are failing in their eyes, they dream of a comeback.
Cultural significance
At its centre is the question of how centuries of violence against women can be brought to an end. Clavadetscher links the ancient material with present day debates about law, justice and femicide.