“Deutscher”, in John von Düffel’s stage adaptation, will be performed at the Bürgerhaus Nieder-Roden on Sunday 18 October. The Schneiders and the Pielkes are good neighbours, living right next door to one another. They help one another out, have barbecues together and deliberately turn a blind eye to their differing views on political issues. The two sons are best friends and classmates at school. Then come the federal elections, in which a ‘blue party’ with distinctly right-wing nationalist overtones not only performs well but actually secures a majority. ‘At last, those at the top are getting a kick up their elitist arses,’ think some, and immediately throw a few more logs on the German emotional barbecue. Whilst the others – the self-perceived do-gooders and democrats – ask themselves, pale with horror: ‘How could something like this have happened?’ Broken down to the microcosm of these two neighbouring families, ‘Deutscher’ depicts the rift that this perceived political turning point is driving through our society. John von Düffel’s stage adaptation of Stefan Rogall’s screenplays for the eponymous four-part ZDF neo series neither judges nor accuses. It observes. ‘Deutscher’ for the stage is a fictional social experiment that is increasingly at risk of being overtaken by reality. A play that really ought to have been performed on stage long ago. Tickets are available in advance from 22 euros from the Department of Culture, Sport and Volunteering at the Alte Apotheke, Schwesternstraße 10, and online at www.frankfurtticket.de. Any remaining tickets can be purchased at the box office from 7 pm.
