Kafana Beisl Culture Clash
May - June 2026
Kafana Beisl Culture Clash
Theatre
Schauspielhaus Graz - Hauptbühne
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1975 in Austria: Bane and Jana have fulfilled their dream of living in the West – at least Bane is convinced of that. The couple have left their Yugoslavian homeland behind and opened a kafana* in the middle of nowhere in Austria, which is enlivened by rock music, a few guest workers and inner-family conflicts. …
When a letter from the authorities announces the demolition of Bane’s pub, the landlord’s family and guests are upside down. The saving idea comes from lawyer Martha: the Kafana could become a Yugoslavian cultural association. The initial skepticism gives way to a thirst for action – can the family and guests pull together despite their differences to save the Kafana from demolition?
Based on his own origins, Sandy Lopičić explores the themes of arriving and wanting to leave. The comedy, written especially for the Schauspielhaus Graz ensemble, turns traditions and stereotypes on their head with relish: suddenly the rock’n’roll that has dominated Kafana up to now is competing with folk music from the Balkans. In a constant change of perspective and by tracing his own (musical) roots, Lopičić, together with his five-piece band and eight actors, performs a musical spectrum ranging from 1970s rock to Balkan songs.
* a traditional restaurant in the former Yugoslavian region
