In 1947, the trial of German playwright Bertolt Brecht took place in the United States, in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, responsible for combating communist activism. A list of the absurd questions Brecht had to answer during his trial is the starting point of this new poignant performance by Lina Majdalanie and Rabih Mroué.

Exile, trials for subversion, the humanist haven of an untraceable elsewhere, the finding that a supposedly democratic country can also maintain a forceful ban on certain statements; these are the themes running through Four Walls and a Roof. Based on their own voluntary emigration ten years ago from Beirut to Berlin, and faced with the rise of the right wing all over the world, the two artists examine the misfortunes of the idealist Brecht in light of the increasing repression of free speech.

While maintaining the playful approach to theatre that the duo has always practised, they are supported by the presence of a pianist performing songs from Brecht and Eisler. Their historical evocation does not shy away from political reflections on the present: they rightfully make us question how free and open is the liberal democracy in which we are living.

"Their humor, sensible presence that doesn’t want to erase some form of vulnerability, and sense of editing, both visually and textually, create mosaics that always offer the viewer something to play with and think about." - Fabienne Darge, 2024, Le Monde

"Like two tightrope walkers, their fragility and lucidity provide us with a better sense of the histories of our contemporaries. This is how we can summarize the urgency of their theatrical ambition." Marie-José Sirach, 2024, l'Humanité