Gabi Keast, Kaskade 109 (Jan 2013)
Roman Müller, known to many of us as a virtuoso diabolo artist and member of Duo Tr’espace, has created a theatrical performance centred on the diabolo as an object. It is a fascinating, surprising, inspiring and though-provoking piece of theatre. One motive for working seems to be curiosity: Roman explores the infinite possibilities represented by the object diabolo and its physical properties. With great patience, he experiments, creating beautiful images almost incidentally.
But for me the ending immediately raised the question: “Can such creative artist ever find a peaceful life?” It’s not work that drives them on, but rather their ideas and their own obsession with their art. How else would such a great performance be possible? And luckily for the audience, machines can never take their place. Sorry, Roman, you’re going to have to carry on.
Herbert Hermes, Schwerter Rundschau (March 2013)
In the work-hard-play-hard era, is leisure simply an object of ridicule, symbol of inertia and irritating boredom? At the end of this enchanting, poetic and effusively ingenious show by the Swiss company Tr’espace at the Schwerter Kleinkunstwochen, the world of work degenerates into a seething tangle of cables, wires and appliances composed of abstruse mechanical apparatus and machines on standby. Only the soft purring of a machine can be heard, continually turning three diabolos in a circle while a tiny red mechanical piano emits metallic tones. Roman Müller, virtuoso, ingenious master of this universe, looks towards the audience, visibly content and almost triumphant. Work has been beaten. [...] A highly intense and unusual visual experience, otherwise seen only in Cirque Nouveau or Varieté... as a children’s toy the diablo has sunk into oblivion, as a tool of the juggling trade it is just one of many turns, never experienced as a medium of expression in the theatre or circus. Tr’espace have set a new benchmark! Spellbound, astounded, delighted. A gem [...]
Really brilliant Christian Strüder. Flottmann-Hallen Herne (March 2013)
Fantastic Heike Pohl, Int Kleinkunstwochen Schwerte (March 2013)
Roger Leroux, director of the Cirque Théatre d’Elbeuf (January 2013)
....un magnifique travail tout en précision et en finesse.
Le spectacle est là, fin, sensible, délicat, drôle. Vous ne le reconnaîtriez pas.
Arbeit ! Le spectacle porte bien son nom.
C’est un beau spectacle, original et qui appelle silence et proximité du public.
Quoted by Ueli Hirzel after a workshop presentation on May 4, 2011 at the end of the first artistic residence at the Château de Monthélon:
Yesterday, Roman treated us to a lovely evening, completely trans¬port¬ing us into his own universe: playful and humorous, but also deeply fascinating and touching. It was justwhat I wanted, one of those special moments in which you gain insight into working processes and the artistic work is simply and unpretentiously present.
It’s turning into quite a beautiful story.