Aupairs

A girl comedy (where a guy appears, but it is for the better) written by the very popular Slovak playwright Viliam Klimáček focuses on the au-pair phenomenon. A new day fairy tale about a poor girl travelling the world to search happiness doesn´t need to end with a wedding with a glorious prince.

The au-pair phenomenon was quite huge in this country right after The Velvet Revolution. That is when the board reopened and so the possibility to travel, experience different countries or learn a foreign language. The definition of the word says that au-pair is a boy or a girl from 17 to 26 years of age who helps in a family to do home chores (quite often helping to take care of a little child). The reward is accommodation, food and some pocket money to cover a language course or little personal expenses. The official goal of such a stay is cultural exchange and improving in the language of the country. The word to word translation means “on equal terms” and thinks of the relationship as not being only economical. How does such a relationship work in reality? What do young girls dream about when travelling to foreign and unknown countries and families?

It took Viliam Klimáček nine months to do proper research of the phenomenon the text of the Au-pairs is based on. He wrote a tale of three au-pairs in London who throw a party at a house of a family that has left for the weekend. They recall sad and happy memories from their work and slowly all their unfulfilled dreams and frustrations show up. The director Marián Amsler and the dramaturgist Marie Špalová made changes in the text to fit Czech reality and the actors of Theatre Letí as well.

Translation Marián Amsler a Marie Špalová

Director Marián Amsler

Performed by Marcela Holubcová, Tomáš Kobr, Klára Štěpánková a Anna Bubníková

Legend:
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