French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltes is one of the great European theatre authors of the second half of the 20th century. With a focus on marginality and on the perennial questions of human existence in civilization, his works are distinguished by a compact, almost terse, language that is simultaneously extremely poetic. The act of speaking in his plays always implies an existential totality. The plays are almost classical in their existential, emotional and intellectual sharpness, but they are set in explicitly contemporary time. There is nothing accidental, anecdotal, or even personal about them. Koltes always aimed at creating a theatre of the world: rich, complex plays which only an ambitious theatre company can take on. With the exception of Roberto Zucco, the majority of his plays were first directed by the distinguished French director Patrice Chereau, with whom Koltes had a lasting creative partnership. Today, Koltes’ plays are performed in theatres across Europe. On the twentieth anniversary of his death, Koltes’ work will again be in the spotlight for theatre connoisseurs.This is especially the case in France, where many new productions of his work have been announced. But this is not the main reason for SNG Drama Ljubljana’s decision to produce Roberto Zucco. The real reason lies in the play’s power, in its fascinating poetic fervour, and in the belief that we have found the right director for the play. Roberto Zucco is Koltes’ last play, marked by his impending death. His fascination with the story of the serial killer Roberto Zucco provided the inspiration for the play, which is based on newspaper articles. But Koltes’ version does not bear any resemblance to the numerous depictions of serial killers that are so attractive to the media and are frequently exploited by television and in films. Koltes is not interested in a spectacular or shocking approach, and even less so in moralizing. Rather, he uncompromisingly questions the borders of human power and nothingness.