František Švantner’s monumental novel is one of the cornerstones of Slovak literature. It captures the endless river of life stirred up by a series of dramatic events at the beginning of the 20th century – the First World War, the collapse of Austria-Hungary and the economic crisis.

 

In his family saga, Švantner masterfully unfolds dramatic episodes not only from the life of the protagonist Paulínka, but also of her crippled mother Hermína, her father Matúš, an innkeeper, the pragmatic maid Marusia and the passionate anarchist Alpár. Through the richness of its structure and depth of thought, Švantner’s novel reaches a truly European level.

 

The many stories carried along by Švantner’s river of life cannot be contained within the “pond” of a single production. For this reason, the Slovak National Theatre is bringing audiences an exceptional project in the form of a serialised stage production. Life Without End will be presented in a dramatisation and directed by Roman Polák, who has repeatedly returned to this author throughout his directing career.