Man to Man, written by German playwright Manfred Karge and translated by George Divine winning playwright Alexandra Wood, recounts the life of a woman who, following the death of her husband, is forced to assume his identity in order to survive the challenges of 20th Century Germany.
The play is based on a true story inspired by a woman who took on her deceased husband’s identity to save his job during the great depression. Stirred by this story, Karge created Ella, later to become Max, and wrote of the experiences she would have lived through – the social history of the century including the radical changes as the Nazi’s rise to power, the cold war and the Berlin Wall coming down.
Audiences can expect an incredible physical performance by Glasgow born actress Margaret Ann Bain as Max/Ella as well as a vivid and intense rollercoaster ride through her astonishing life. The production will make an audience think long after the curtain comes down about how they would have met the challenges of her life had the same challenges been thrown at them.
Man to Man was first performed by Tilda Swinton at the Traverse in 1987. Manfred Karge’s second play The Conquest of the South Pole starred a young Alan Cumming, Ewen Bremner, and a stellar Scottish cast. Both plays then became films.
This German classic has been reworked into an all-consuming piece of physical theatre, beautifully directed by Stirling born Bruce Guthrie (Associate Director for Sam Mendes on his world tour of Richard III, director of Twelfth Night and Othello, for the Singapore Repertory Theatre) and Frantic Assembly’s Artistic Director Scott Graham (director of past Festival hit Beautiful Burnout & Olivier and Tony award nominee for his movement direction on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time).
Design by West End & Broadway designer Richard Kent, lighting design by Tony and Olivier award winner Rick Fisher (Billy Elliot The musical & An Inspector Calls) and sound design by Olivier award winner Mike Walker.
Man to Man is produced by Siobhán Daly for Wales Millennium Centre. This is the centre’s first production at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Man to Man is at the Underbelly, Topside from the 5-31 August at 17.40 http://www.edfest.com
Submitted by Bethany Arnold
