Blueprint for several science fiction of the 20th century and origin of the term robot. Karl Čapek's play was one of the first to deal with the extinction of mankind, which is omnipresent today. 101 years after its premiere, the retro-futuristic ensemble gamut inc and guests, the RIAS Kammerchor and the German Book Prize-winning librettist Frank Witzel bring an updated version to the stage as musical theater.

Isaac Asimov called it the "worst important play of its time." The author's brother created the neologism "robot" for the work. ROSSUMS UNIVERSAL ROBOTS still reflects contemporary issues such as economic and ecological disasters and human hubris.

The new version transforms the themes of the original into a grotesque world in which intermediary beings made of humans and objects move through live electronic soundscapes, complex light choreographies and optical illusions. They are incessantly pursued by the mass of humans and robots, which the RIAS Kammerchor brings to life as video projections in Orson Welles' film noir aesthetic.

About the plot: robots are developed by a handful of scientists on an island and sold all over the world. They are organic human-like beings, not mechanical contraptions, who take control of the island and the planet in a robot uprising - wiping out all of humanity in the process. However, the robots now lack the formula to create themselves. Fortunately, a single human remains alive on the island, who is supposed to reproduce the formula before all robots fall prey to decay. Unfortunately, this last human is not a scientist...

Further performances in February 5 & 6 2022 19:00 @ Comedia Cologne