I am a Country

“The world need not be saved. It must be entertained!”

The play presents a fairy tale of a kingdom whose people must murder one another before attaining well-being. 

Je suis un pays (I am a Country) is the first published play by Vincent Macaigne, a distinguished French actor, theatre and film director, screenwriter and playwright. Based on an eponymous production, which the artist presented to acclaim within a tour of Europe, it deals with the myth of the birth of a nation and state.

Telling a story of a kingdom and a family saga, the play begins when everyone wants to kill the ruler, symbolising a dictatorship whose knell rang long ago. Although set in an unknown country, an unknown monarchy, there are constant references to the contemporary world.

In his work, Macaigne employs quotations of Nicolas Sarkozy’s speeches and Thomas Bernhard’s plays, hints at Donald Trump, while mentioning perhaps all the countries on our planet. The land depicted in the play is fictitious and remote, but one that is dangerously connected with us. Macaigne reveals a society that is not capable of transforming, turning in a vicious circle of damnation and failure. The play features numerous pop songs, with its characters including charming journalists, debonair news presenters, as well as witty and smart politicians. In the final analysis: notwithstanding the topics being politics and the incorrigible human spirit, entertainment is essential. 

Audience: children 16+, adult

About the company

The National Theatre Drama is the biggest company of its ilk in the Czech Republic. We strive to include in our programmes works of the classical and contemporary Czech and international repertoire as well as original projects and Czech premieres. The productions are visually compelling and exquisitely staged. Our company gives there eight first nights a year, while also pursuing a host of accompanying activities, educational programmes, and international festival Prague Crossroads.