A century after its publication, Kafka’s The Trial returns to the Prague stage in a powerful new adaptation. The Drama Queens bring Steven Berkoff’s version to life with intensity, style, and dark humour.
“Someone must have been telling lies about Joseph K., for he had done nothing wrong but was arrested one fine morning.” So begins Franz Kafka’s haunting parable of bureaucracy, paranoia, and existential dread. More than a century after it was written, The Trial remains eerily resonant — and this June, it returns to the Prague stage with renewed urgency.
The Drama Queens, a Prague-based theatre group known for their inventive, high-energy productions, are bringing Steven Berkoff’s adaptation of The Trial to life. Under the seasoned direction of Martin Murin, the ensemble dives headfirst into Kafka’s disorienting world, using stylised visuals, dark humour, and sharp physicality to conjure a nightmarish atmosphere where logic crumbles and freedom is illusory.
Written between 1914 and 1915, Kafka’s novel follows Joseph K., a seemingly ordinary bank clerk who is inexplicably arrested and thrust into a labyrinthine legal system. His desperate attempt to assert his innocence becomes a surreal journey through a world where power is arbitrary and the rules unknowable. Berkoff’s script captures this madness in visceral theatrical language, and The Drama Queens deliver it with gusto.
The production promises more than a faithful adaptation — it aims to challenge, disturb, and provoke. With their trademark blend of theatrical craft, stage design, and conceptual daring, The Drama Queens offer a Trial for our own anxious times.
The show premieres on 14 June at LaFabrika. Doors close at 19:30.
Tickets for The Trial are available at: www.lafabrika.cz
Founded in 2007, The Drama Queens have built a reputation for bold reinterpretations of classics and modern works alike, with past productions including Les Misérables, Black Comedy, The 39 Steps, and Animal Farm.
Whether you’re a Kafka aficionado or a first-time traveller into his surreal universe, this is a Trial you won’t want to miss.
The Drama Queens
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