History of Violence

History of Violence is a theatrical adaptation of the autobiographical novel by French writer Édouard Louis, who was raped and nearly murdered in December 2012 by a man he met on his way home from a Christmas party and invited to his house. To come to terms with post-traumatic stress disorder, he turned to his past in his memoir. The main character Eddie (Oskar Hes) recounts the circumstances of the traumatic event to doctors, police officers, and his loved ones – yet each of them views the crime from their own perspective. The narrative is interwoven with small-town prejudices bordering on homophobia, institutional racism, and the story of an individual who experienced an intense moment of intimacy and subsequent betrayal in a single night, becoming merely a faceless statistic in yesterday's news. The man named Reda, a chance lover and rapist, is played by Jan Grundman. The adaptation and direction are by Tomáš Loužný, dramaturgy by David Košťák, set design by Petr Vítek, costumes by Martin Chocholoušek, and live music by Ivo Sedláček. The production plays in the Studio of Švandovo Theatre and runs for 95 minutes without intermission. The production contains violent scenes and sexual references; recommended for viewers aged 15 and above.