In this solo, Matija Ferlin embraces the spirit of Johann Sebastian Bach’s  St Matthew Passion. The title, translated from Croatian, means “Now I am Matthew”. In a collaboration with dramaturge Goran Ferčec,  the  piece expands on the theme of death, suffering, temptation, carnality, the relationship between the individual and society, betrayal and forgiveness, using personal narratives and a metaphysical exploration of the complicated and harrowing deaths in Ferlin’s family.    

The challenging dialogue that unfolds is one of simple beauty: between a person of the 21st century and a highlight of Protestant sacred music; between a straining body and a canonical funeral ritual; and between the individual and civilisation. Ferlin’s precise vocabulary of movement pushes the double meaning of the word ‘passion’ to its limits. Caught between pain and passion, he exposes the audience and himself to the supremacy of the music.