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09/26/22 While the audience takes their seats at the OffTheater, Fred is busy vacuuming. He does it so superficially, one suspects even before the comedy begins: he’s a model of a good husband, but he’s certainly not of the kind a woman like Annette would dream of.

By Reinhard Kirschbaum

Anett (Anja Clementi) returns home from a multi-day business trip, or rather. She spins. Swinging, she shoots the immaculately clean living room in preparation for the attack, and her husband (Thomas Pfertner) follows suit by revealing to him: she is in love and intends to marry two men from now on. in the same house. “It’s been good so far, but it’s getting better now,” she explains. “Now there is competition, one wants to be better than the other.” This is her view. He did not ask for the opinion of the pair of gods.

What kind of dream man is the “new man”? Manfred (Alex Lens) only drinks water, but commands it with a “deep masculine voice”. His hairy chest feels “like petting a wild boar”. The husband hears it and does not enjoy it.

So things are going well in comedy Fasten your seat belts by Estonian Jan Tate. He is not only a playwright, but also an actor – he knows what the audience likes. While the proper screwball comedy says “Open the door, shut the door,” all doors are open here, including the doors to the adjacent apartment. Anna (Diana Paul) lives there. For many years, she viewed Manfred as intrusively as unsuccessful.

A material, then, in which a well-rehearsed troupe can break up. As director, Alex Lince relies on proper timing. He also knows how to spot over-excitement again, when necessary. Because what is negotiated there with amazing dialogue jokes has a lot to do with the daily wear and tear of a long-term partnership.

This can be cliched and ultimately kill the happiness of two people. For example, Annette once mentioned how she was dressing him privately one evening. At that time he just asked, “Did you already notice that we have a new rug in the bathroom?”

Logically, one should not reveal where things are heading. Only a lot: the story ends better than it did in Open a couple’s relationship by Dario Fu. And the cool glasses worn by the four may be tinted pink. But they also have the potential to put a heavy emphasis on bondage in a relationship — and ways to deal with it. It’s not enough to blow it up, because for everyone involved: “I got so used to it.”

Upcoming shows: October 1, 8, 12 and 25 – www.off.theater

In Pictures: OffTheater / 2ebihara-Photography