It begins with the rush, the feeling of omnipotence, of being a superstar. Anything is achievable, anything is possible. There is no standing still, only one direction: forward.
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Die Welt im Rücken
The mania is deceptive, because as you plummet into depression, it becomes clear: nothing was real, the bank account is empty, social relationships are destroyed. What remains is emptiness and silence. An abyss that almost sweeps the writing self away. And then the roller coaster rises again…
Thomas Melle lives with manic-depressive disorder, also known as bipolar disorder. With *Die Welt im Rücken* (*The World Behind Me*), he has written a unique, linguistically brilliant chronicle of his illness. He recounts, without holding back, his experiences of the individual phases of the illness, the struggle to remember what has been once the mania is over, and the struggle to understand. “Die Welt im Rücken” was shortlisted for the German Book Prize in 2016.
Tim Adams’ production brings the novel to the stage in a captivating and moving way. Originally developed for the E.T.A. Hoffmann Theater in Bamberg, it can now be seen at the Vagantenbühne.
Additional information
Dates
September 2026
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