The Stranger @ Summerhall

The Stranger is a one man performance of Albert Camus' existential novel, with the intensity of the source material being the heart of Guilherme Leme's performance. We see his interpretation of the protagonist Meursault’s absurd journey from nihilist to murderer and witness the torment and strain within.
 
A lone chair sits on the stage with a suit jacket and trousers strewn over it. Leme enters and the journey commences. As he narrates the story Meursault begins to get dressed, slowly and contemplatively putting on the trousers and jacket. The deliberate languor in his approach adds to the tension and determinism of the character and builds to the anxiety of the impending trial of Meursault.

The character of Meursault does not follow a traditional arc. His conclusion is indifference, with his story a fruitless search for peace and freedom that can be interpreted as dissatisfaction.
 
The performance ends as we see Meursault take a long and indifferent drag from a cigarette, further underlining the absurdity of his story but also the sophistication in Leme's performance.
 
The Stranger is a bold and masterfully constructed performance that encapsulates Camus' themes and presents a unique interpretation of a difficult and understated subject matter, with Leme's performance being the focal point.