Reto Finger

Homo Hans has quit his job to be self-employed. That makes him very happy. Homo Hans tells potential investors how he sees things. That makes him happy, too. But it also makes him unemployed. Homo Hans withdraws from his wife and child. That makes him less sad, at least. But somehow, he isn’t quite right in the head anymore. Something’s leaking, something’s going wrong in his life. Without a doubt.

“Hans has worked for seven years. For his achievements, he gets a lump of gold. He swaps it several times until he is left with only a whetstone. In the well-known fairy tale, which can be found in the Children’s and Household Tales by the brothers Grimm, the difference between having and being, the art of letting go and the inner freedom resulting from this are discussed. Because even though the material worth gets smaller and smaller with each of Hans’ trades, he becomes happier.
Reto Finger has written a modern adaptation of the Hans in Luck story for the ensemble in Bochum. Homo Hans quits his safe job and tries self-employment. But the desire for higher-faster-further surrounding him seems more and more absurd to him. Piece by piece, Hans exits this world and starts pursuing his personal happiness.” (Announcement Schauspielhaus Bochum)

For Hans im Glück, Reto Finger won the Bern literature prize in 2016 worth 10,000 Swiss franc.