“A contemporary concert for the end of the world” is how the director Nadya Pancheva describes Peak Stuff – the performance with which the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia opens its new season. Based on a play by British playwright Billie Collins, the production brings to the stage the worries, slang and rhythm of the digital natives.

The premiere will take place on 24 and 25 September 2026 at the Apostol Karamitev Studio Stage. The production is the sixth project of Ivan Vazov National Theatre, realized under the Apostol Karamitev Programme, established in 2023 with the aim of providing a platform for new playwrights, directors, ideas and interdisciplinary theatre practices.

In a world where overconsumption has exceeded all limits, status is determined by the things you own, friendship is measured in “likes,” and the future doesn’t seem to hold any change, the individual seems to be lost. In this world Alice, Ben and Charlie are increasingly losing their ability to be human. What connects the three of them is social isolation and a lack of genuine human connection. And with a final effort, through extreme gestures that are both unsettling and surreal, they try to give meaning to their lives.

Peak Stuff is a monodrama starring Martina Peneva, who plays all three characters. She is joined on stage by composer Alexander Daniel, who performs the music live.

Nadya Pancheva is a theatre director with a particular interest in documentary, political and socially engaged theatre. Her work combines contemporary drama, documentary material, video, music and direct interaction with the audience. Her productions have been presented at national and international theatre festivals.

More information is available here.

^{Cover photo: (c) Petko Mavrodiev}