Martin Algus

Martin Algus born 1973, is currently the most successful Estonian playwright. His debut plays »Thirst« and »You are!« won the first prizes in the 2007 New Drama Competition; his play »Postmodern Households« was awarded first prize in the same competition in 2009. With »Contact«, Algus won the competition New Baltic Drama in 2011, ensuring him an international debut in Finland, one of the partnering countries. From 1997 to 2005, he was an actor at the Ugala theatre in Viljandi. He has also translated more than 25 plays from English and Russian. Martin Algus lives in Tallinn.

© internationales literaturfestival berlin

MARTIN ALGUS, ESTONIA
»CONTACT«

The characters in Martin Algus’ play „Contact“ seemingly meet by coincidence. They are stuck in situations which force them into conversation with each other: a female physiotherapist and a patient suffering from multiple sclerosis look out over the ocean together. An Estonian migrant woman in her early twenties earns her living in Denmark, working at an integration programme for the mentally unstable where she meets Johan, a misanthropist and cynic. A businessman and an astrophysicist try to market the scientist’s research findings. All these dialogues address existential questions of faith, life and death. Slowly, connections between the characters emerge and a mysterious tension develops.