Oil

"Trees. Steppe. Mosquitos. No oil."

Herbert Kahmer, his wife Eva and his business partner Edgar Bron have come to a developing nation to hunt for oil. The big petroleum firms have long since given up hope of locating any reserves here and pulled out. While Herbert and Edgar drill for the elusive black gold in remote areas in the north of the country, Eva waits for them in the provincial capital. She has withdrawn completely, never leaves her house, drinks and entertains strange thoughts.
The Kahmer’s locally hired housekeeper Gomua speaks impeccable German and is Eva’s only connection with this foreign country. Gomua silently tolerates Eva’s egomaniacal rants and terse commands.
One day a young woman appears, claiming to be an acquaintance of Eva’s, and appeals to her sense of reason and autonomy. With the arrival of the mysterious woman and the news that the men have finally struck oil, it quickly becomes apparent that a catastrophe is brewing.
Lukas Bärfuss is the author of “Hundert Tage” (“A Hundred Days“), a prize-winning novel set during the Rwandan genocide. In “Oil“, he once again writes about the greed, guilt and neuroses of Europeans who become embroiled in the fate of other peoples – with calamitous results.
Following “The Bus“ and “Amygdala“, “Oil“ is Stephan Kimmig’s third world-premiere production of a Lukas Bärfuss play.