Travesties

Zurich, Switzerland at the height of World War I: a focal point for three of the Twentieth Century’s most radical and influential figures. James Joyce, Irish exile and modernist author; Vladimir Lenin, communist leader and lynchpin of the Russian Revolution and Tristan Tzara, avant garde poet and founder of the Dada movement are deep in discussion, sharing their thoughts on the turbulent times in which they live.

Years later Henry Carr, English consular official, similarly resident in Zurich, hazily recalls this momentous meeting of minds. But Carr’s fading memory paints an unreliable picture of calamitous mix-ups and mistaken identities. In a farcical brew, evoking the comic charm of Oscar Wilde and conjuring up scenarios reminiscent of Wilde’s mirthful masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, what emerges from the myriad twists and turns is a revelatory exploration of art, literature, philosophy and politics.