A Hunger Artist

A Hunger Artist was a dance adaptation by Arthur Pita of Kafka’s short story ‘Ein Hungerkünstler’ that premiered at the Old Fire Station, Oxford, UK on 3 June 2024. It was presented by Oxford University’s Cultural Programme, in association with The Royal Ballet and the Oxford Kafka Research Centre, as part of a programme of activities to commemorate the centenary of Kafka’s death.

Watch the highlights video here:

Cast

A Hunger Artist – Edward Watson

Impresario – Meow Meow

Creative team

Arthur Pita had previously directed Edward Watson in a Kafka adaptation, The Metamorphosis, at the Royal Ballet. The academic team on the Kafka’s Transformative Communities project (based at the Oxford Kafka Research Centre) approached Pita to create something for the Kafka Centenary. A concept was developed to adapt ‘A Hunger Artist’ with artists Edward Watson, Meow Meow and Frank Moon.

In February 2024, the academics took part in a 3-day workshop with Pita and his collaborators, engaging in a close reading of Kafka’s text. At the end of this process, the team shared a pilot performance with a group of students and local people. Reflecting on the workshop, Pita shares:

‘We spent three days almost line by line going through the text, which was incredibly rich and rewarding and an incredible insight into how to navigate through this particular story. And it gave so much food for thought and it provided so much inspiration. But what was great about the whole process is that all the academics at the end of the process were like, here's the information. You've got it all. Now, forget everything and go do your thing. And almost getting this consent to feel free with the adaptation, because I already had some ideas that it would be something quite different.’

Watch the full interview with Arthur Pita here:

In June 2024, there were four public performances over three days, with a total audience of 423 people. The finished production seamlessly intertwined dance, song, and intrigue into an enthralling, immersive spectacle.  Out of 24 survey respondents, 67% felt they had learnt something new and 88% said they were inspired to attend more dance performances. Multiple people said that it had inspired them to learn more about Kafka and read or re-read Kafka’s works, and the top three words used to describe the event were ‘unusual’, ‘powerful’ and ‘beautiful.’

Composer Frank Moon observes:

‘The role of the audience is fascinating because it is intimate, you're watching somebody starving themself and not doing anything else really. I mean he's moving but he's not dancing in a traditional way because he's conserving energy. So the audience is watching something that's sort of subverting what dance normally is which is impressive movements and rapid movements and big leaps and it's almost the opposite of that.’

Watch the full interview with Frank Moon here:

Reviews

‘The intensity of this performance, on the centenary of Kafka’s death, took my breath away. […] In bringing Kafka’s short story to the stage, Pita has added a new dimension: by inviting us to observe and even participate in the torment of an artist in such an extreme (albeit theatrical) setting, he shows us with a terrible physical reality what Kafka felt it meant to be an artist.’ (Oxford Dance Writers, 11 June 2024)

'Watson's physicality and dance movements, contorting his body as he manoeuvres around the cage, are hypnotic. The songs, Moon's accompanying music played on a range of instruments from the gallery, and Watson's transformational performance create an outstanding, unforgettable evening.' (Newbury Weekly News, 20 June 2024)

Funders

The project was support by Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement, The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) and the New College Ludwig Fund.