Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Melbourne and ThinIce present

The Trial
adapted by Louise Fox
from the novel by Franz Kafka

Josef K is in trouble with a capital T. He’s been accused of something and no one will tell him exactly what. Despite his adamant protestations of innocence, K finds himself swept up on an inexorable tide of bureaucracy, dragged adrift by strange forces that are invisible, threatening and unstoppable. He knows that the law court is intent on punishing guilt but just what ‘guilt’ is is growing ever more ambiguous.

Once a confident, obsessive and hardworking bank clerk, when K becomes embroiled in this surreal, utterly frustrating and inescapable court trial, he begins to transform into an entirely different person. The memories of airless, claustrophobic rooms haunt him wherever he goes and court offi cials appear from the darkest corners of the most unexpected places. Slowly, gradually, his composed demeanour is eroded and - as the world around him becomes increasingly nightmare-like - reality slips from his grasp.

The indefinable, elusive and mysterious power of Franz Kafka’s writing is captured in Louise Fox’s brand new adaptation of his landmark novel. Revelling in Kafka’s wit, clowning, farce and obsession with the erotic, this production, directed by Matthew Lutton, marks our second collaboration with his celebrated Perth-based company ThinIce, and features John Gaden and Ewen Leslie.