Stefanie Reinsperger is resplendently revolting in this translation of Sarah Kane’s self-described “comedy.” The dark retelling of a Greek myth by the no-holds-barred British playwright – key themes include incest, lust, rape and death – does indeed elicit laughs from the audience on one or two occasions.
Reinsperger takes on all roles in the show. She turns the layabout Hippolytus character into an absurdly grotesque, childish figure playing with enormous skittles and a giant bouncy ball. When she plays Phaedra, her face is covered in spit and snot; she cuts an extraordinary figure in a black mourning gown with black ash raining down on her.
The adaptation is a little forced at times and what could have been an interesting choice – to have Nazanin Noori read out stage directions to compensate for the lack of ensemble cast – can get annoying. But Noori, along with director Robert Borgmann, also provides live music and off-stage voices to great effect. The result is a performance both entrancing and disgusting. This play is not, as Kane would surely agree, for the easily offended. ★★★★
- Berliner Ensemble, Mitte
- Nov 2, in German and English
