Winter Solstice
By Roland Schimmelpfennig
Translated by David Tushingham
Themes: Family & Relationships, Extremism & Prejudice Truth & Betrayal
Genre: Comedy, Political Theatre
Key Scenes: 12.1-12.20 (2M); 2.1 to 2.14 (2F, 1M); 17.56 to 18.1 (1F, 2M)
Age recommendation: 16+ (racist innuendo)
Number of characters: 7 (4F, 3M)
Country: Germany
Original language: German
Description:
It is Christmas Eve in a liberal, middle-class household in modern day Germany. Bettina and her husband Albert aren’t happy. Bettina’s mother, Corinna, is staying for the holidays, which is awkward because she met a man on the train and now she’s invited him around for drinks...
While Albert and Bettina bicker, Corinna will say anything to draw attention to herself, and Marie is constantly underfoot. Rudolph, Corrina’s unexpected stranger from the train, receives an awkward welcome but soon ingratiates himself within the family with this suave, charming persona. That is, until he casually reveals racist, supremacist theories and ideas with alarming implications given Germany’s dark history. Will anyone challenge Rudoph’s seemingly-banal interjections, at the cost of disrupting the complacent comfort of this well-to-do family?
Family, betrayal and the inescapable presence of the past reverberate through this razor-sharp comedy.
The play was originally written in German and was translated into English in 2017 by David Tushingham.
The play is written as a single scene.
+ DETAILS
Author: Roland Schimmelpfennig
Original language: German
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2017
World Premiere (in the Engl. lang.): January 2017, Orange Tree Theatre
Education Pack Resource Writer: Alia Alzougbi
+ CHARACTERS
ALBERT, no older than 40s, possibly 30s, Bettina’s partner, a classic intellectual, with glasses, seemingly careless
BETTINA, no older than 40s, possibly 30s, Albert’s partner, slim, good looking, creative, highly intelligent
RUDOLPH, mid 60s, slim, good-looking with a charming smile, Corinna’s friend from the train
CORINNA, Bettina’s mother
KONRAD, a friend of the family and a childhood friend of Albert’s, a painter
MARIE, 8 years old, Bettina and Albert’s daughter, we never see her
NAOMI, Albert’s publisher and mistress, we never see her
+ PLAY TEXT BLURB
Christmas Eve.
Bettina and her husband Albert aren’t happy.
Bettina’s mother is staying for the holidays.
Which is awkward.
Not least because Bettina’s mother met a man on the train.
And now she’s invited him around for drinks...
Family, betrayal and the inescapable presence of the past reverberate through the UK premiere of Roland Schimmelpfennig’s razor-sharp comedy.
Buy the play text here
Credits
Roland Schimmelpfennig
Playwright
David Tushingham
Translator
Alia Alzougbi
Educational Resource Writer