Soviet Union, 1920s. Penniless and unemployed, Semione Semionovich wakes up in the dead of night in his communal apartment building. Feeling a sudden craving, he gets up to devour a liver sausage. His wife catches him, an argument ensues, and he disappears, threatening to soon “breathe his last.” Convinced he is going to end his life, his wife calls for help, at which point everything spirals out of control. A host of characters hurries to the scene, all intent on exploiting this desperate gesture for political, ideological or personal gain.

As he gets caught in this spiral, Semione suddenly matters. And he wants to live. But must he die to truly exist in the eyes of others?

Censored even before its first performance, Erdman’s play is a biting satire of Soviet society. It portrays a system that grinds down individuals by manipulating the collective to the point of absurdity. But this profoundly timely play moves beyond its purely historical and political context to interrogate, in depth, the value of life and the very essence of existence.

Jean Bellorini drives this story forward at a furious pace, offering a funny yet ferocious glimpse into the depths of human meanness. The troupe’s spirit, the music (accordion, brass and percussion), Macha Makeïeff’s vibrant costumes and André Markowicz’s raw and rhythmic language combine to unleash the play’s dark humour and wild abandon.