The Theater Alte Brücke in Sachsenhausen is known for trying out something new. A play is sometimes performed in the middle of the audience, there are impromptu musicals or Viennese cabaret programs. And also with his latest production "Plan B", theatre founder Alexander Beck proves to have a good feeling for interesting material off the beaten track. At first the premise of the play does not really sound unusual. Based on a radio play by Darmstadt's Ivar-Leon Menger, "Plan B" tells the story of Finn (played by Jan-Peter Nowak), a permanent student and film lover who has had no contact with his mother (Sabrina Faber) for years. The reason for this is the hated stiff father (Stefan Pescheck), who never misses an opportunity to badmouth Finn. But this is to be an end now. Finn invites the two to his place, supposedly to reconcile with them. But Finn has a completely different, perfidious plan, which actually seemed perfect. But then Finn's buddy (Glen-Michael Arriola) shows up and everything goes off the rails.
More shall not be revealed about the story at this point. Only this much: things get pretty nasty. And as is so often the case with plays performed at the Alte Brücke Theatre, humorous moments and very intense drama lie very close together, with the tension steadily building from a certain moment until the finale. But what exactly makes this play so special now? The story or the great ensemble, which also includes Franziska Langer? Surely, these are already good reasons that make the play worth seeing. But what makes it really special is the production, which takes a multimedia approach. Here, theatre is mixed with set pieces from film, video art and, of course, radio drama to create a fascinating and rousing whole.
At the same time - and this is also common in charming theatre - the entertainment value is always the focus. Here, the production does not get lost in its artistic pretensions, but uses them supportively to make the experience even more intense for the audience. This is advantageous in that the play of the actors and actresses on stage is never overshadowed by the artistic aspect and can thus unfold its full power. For as cleverly as the story is constructed and as fascinating as the technical aspect of the production may be, the whole thing wouldn't work without convincing actors. And in this case it works - and how!!
This is not for the faint of heart, but who appreciates thrilling fare in Hitchcock style and who likes great acted psychological thrillers, should not miss this more than successful stage adaptation of "Plan B"! (Text: Sebastian Betzold)
Text source and further information: https://www.theater-alte-bruecke.de/
