In February 2025, Mark Bless portrayed Radius in R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) by Czech writer Karel Čapek. The production was created by students of BORG für Musik und Kunst Hegelgasse as part of the Polyästhetik programme, under the guidance of Professor Mag. Ute Bauer, and directed by Jakub Kavin.
Radius is a robot who develops from an obedient worker into one of the leaders of the rebellion against humanity. Through the character, the play explores questions of freedom, identity, power and what it means to be human.
For Mark, the production brought together several areas of his artistic work. Alongside playing Radius, he composed the title song for the production and performed it live at the piano. Movement and dance were also part of his performance, giving him the opportunity to combine acting, music and physical expression within a single role.
Playing Radius was a particularly interesting experience for Mark because the character gradually moves beyond what he was created to be. It allowed him to explore that transformation on stage while bringing together acting, music and movement in one production.
