Night review Graz | Nestroy at Schauspielhaus: Distinctive yet refreshing

It takes some time to get used to the atmosphere of Nestroy’s unusual production. But then you can have a good time with this refreshing approach to a farce first performed in Vienna in 1844, even if purists turn up their noses. And who also wait in vain for passages in the traditional sense. Instead, backed by the great musical duo Clemens JJ Renkowski and Jan Samson Krizanić, we are presented with song-like interludes (written with the band by Graz composer Ulrike Heydacher), which are not about the conditions of our Alpine republic, but rather arrogantly. Exploring the inner lives of characters. Great: Louisa Schwab’s solo (“Kathy’s nice because Nestroy wrote me that way”) and Olivia Grigoli (Mathilde or Madame Schleyer), who gains a voice again (“She’s out of the action”).

Great band Full of wonderful characters is already a trump card for the new director at Graz Schauspielhaus. Zeljko Marović, a Serbian national who came to Graz from Berlin, is the discovery of the evening in the title role. His good acting will surely open the way for him to have a great career in cinema. Mr. von Lips lives in the present in a tailored leisure suit and soft slippers (costumes: Anna Lechner), sated and bored by life as a wealthy dandy (Nestroy’s material was the French play “The Bored Man”). Diagnosis: depression due to the monotony of constant well-being. His daily life lacks the excitement, curiosity and surprises of “a glacier with black snow” or “a green poplar dawn”.

And who only recognizes the pathetic false friends Stifler and Wexer (worth a watch: Oliver Chomik and Kaspar Simonicek) when he leaves the golden cage because he thinks he killed the locksmith Glothammer (the charismatic and suave: Sebastian Schindger) in a fight. And you can only recognize and feel love disguised as a poor person.

German director Ulrike Arnold was inspired by men’s duels and Lips’ escapes to create gorgeous cinematic images that fit the solemn, but not at all suave, style of performance. Arnold does not design a Nestroy-like world of “torn things,” but she is able to persuade with her view of farce by singing and, along with set designer Franziska Bornkamm, entertaining throughout. Franz Solar (Krautkopf) enriches the evening as a veteran of the house.

After nearly two hours, the audience at the first show was excited and gave a very long applause.

“The Torn Man” by Johan Nestroy. With excerpts by Ulrike Heydacher. Theater Graz. with Željko Marovic, Oliver Chomic, Kaspar Simonicek, Olivia Gregoli, Sebastian Schindiger, Franz Solar.
Director: Ulrike Arnold. Upcoming shows: November 26 (3 p.m.), November 28, December 1, 9, 20 and 21, each at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Tel (0316) 80 00.

The torn man with his hypocritical friends (Marović, Chomic, Simonyšek)

© Lex Carelli /SSH

Sebastian Schindiger as Emberhammer (front)

© Lex Carelli /SSH