Visiting company. Jakobus Theater. Karlsruhe.

Production played in the German language

Photography by HERRliche Fotografie. Staging Jakobus Theater.

Set build at The Lace Market Theatre is headed up by Guy Evans.

The original English language production by Bernard Slade was performed at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York and starred Ellen Burstyn as Doris and Charles Grodin as George. The dates used in this time related play spanned 1951- 1975.

This amateur production by Jakobus Theater, inventively and superbly directed by professional director Andreas (Andi) Rüdenauer, has been attracting good houses back home in Karlsruhe. Instead of telling the story with dates stemming from 1951 this production has made the artistic choices of moving the dates forward in time and have removed the uneventful second scene entirely from Act One. Same Time, Next Year (Nächstes Jahr, gleiche Zeit) now runs through extramarital events during 1976, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001.

Amongst his directorial credits Andreas Rüdenauer directed the sell out production of Boeing Boeing at the Jakobus Theater in 2012 which was then bought to the Lace Market Theatre as part of a twinning event in April 2014. It was equally as popular at the Lace Market and the concept of adding in some flying and love related songs to the French farce is something that has been echoed in the production of Same Time Next Year. Co-incidentally Magdalena Maier was also cast as Janet the Pan Am air hostess. My original review on a different writing platform. https://philloweactor.blogspot.com/2014/04/boeing-boeing-at-lace-market-theatre_15.html

Magdalena Maier charms as Doris and Christian Brunner is her amusingly volatile lover George. Both actors give totally convincing performances which run the gamut of emotions and the costumes aid our belief in their aging process. It would be an honest appraisal to say that the highly nuanced performances are utterly professional. Jule Klessing and Freddi Schmeider play two comical house servants who assist with scene changes and cover whilst the main actors change costumes at rapid speed backstage before transporting us delightfully into the next dramatic scene. Their scenes have been cleverly choreographed and receive much deserved applause for their humorous undertakings. Song recordings and a terrific live song from Klessing are slotted between the acts. The setting is guest cottage in a country inn in the United States.

Having read the English language script beforehand and knowing a little German I recognise the witty lines that remind me of the stage and film works of Neil Simon. But are, of course, actually ascribed to Canadian Bernard Slade Newfound’s ( to give him his full name) own humorous and dramatic way of penning a play. In the UK he is probably best known for his writing for The Partridge Family and the popular screen version of Same Time, Next Year.

The acting and comedy in this brilliant production is extremely good and thereby the relationships come across as very believable. Maier and Brunner have worked together on stage many times in German productions of The Dinner Party, The White Horse Inn, Black Comedy, The Dead Poets Society, Dangerous Liaisons and To Be or Not To Be. Their experience is evident for all to see, especially how they act out the many intimate scenes without inhibitions. Both are consummate actors skilled in subtle and comical facial reactions, dramatic emotional depictions and body language. We could easily be watching two professional actors. The Lace Market is lucky to have such high standards from Germany gracing their stage.

At the outset of the play actor Markus Kunstler gives a brief summary in English for the English speaking audience. The play itself opens with Doris and George (both married to other named but unseen partners) feeling a mix of excitement, guilt and joy after sleeping together on their first naughty extramarital rendezvous.

As an element of guilt kicks in Doris says “Then how come we feel so terrible?”

George replies ” Because we’re two decent, honest people and this thing is tearing us apart. I mean, I know it wasn’t our fault but I keep seeing the faces of my children and the look of betrayal in their eyes. I keep thinking of our marriage vows, the trust my wife has placed in me, the experiences we have shared together. And you know the worst part of it all? While I am thinking of these things I have this fantastic hard on.

Doris: I really wish you hadn’t said that.

George: I’m sorry I just feel we should be totally honest with each other.

Doris: It’s not that. I have to go to confession.

George: We’re both crazy! I mean this sort of thing happens to millions of people every day. We are just normal, healthy human beings who did a perfectly healthy, normal thing. You don’t use actual names in confession, do you?

An anxious agreement at the end of Act One by Doris and George, finds them suggesting that this first fling will be the last time. But of course things never work out so easily in the course of infidelity.

The second act finds the relationship between George and Doris becoming much more frank as they discuss George’s sexual problems back at home with his wife. Not to be outdone, Doris has revealed she is pregnant and dramatically comic events take place as Doris discovers that the baby is about to be born and the only help available is the now panicking George. Fast forward to 1991 and there has been plenty of change afoot in both their lives away from the safe cocoon of the guest room.

Much of their talk is about their partners at home and there is a shift in the way that Doris and George converse with each other about difficulties in their married lives and George has a surprise revelation about his wife which forces them to consider if it is timely to get hitched together, should they both choose to do so. Der Verlauf der Liebe ist oft voller unerwarteter Hindernisse.

So, I have tried to explain a little more of the plot than I normally would do so that it helps encourage you to support this excellent short two act play from our talented friends who have come to the Lace Market Theatre all the way from Southern Germany. The tickets are free, you might learn some German, have a laugh at Bernard Slade’s romantic comedy and the Lace Market guests will be delighted to have an audience. You do need to book. Lace Market Theatre | Home

Remaining performances are Thursday matinée 28th May at 2.30 p.m and again at 7.30 p.m.

Extra: For those of you who are interested in the theatre twinning history between The Lace Market Theatre and Jakobus Theater and Theater Die Kaeuze in Karlsruhe here is a little something I wrote ten years ago. That took the history up to 2016 and the Pandemic meant that it was a few years more until the twinning could resume.

Extra: Für diejenigen unter Ihnen, die sich für die Theaterpartnerschaftsgeschichte zwischen dem Lace Market Theatre und dem Jakobus Theater sowie dem Theater Die Kaeuze in Karlsruhe interessieren, hier ist etwas, das ich vor zehn Jahren geschrieben habe. Es deckte die Geschichte bis 2016 ab, und die Pandemie bedeutete, dass es noch ein paar Jahre dauern würde, bis die Partnerschaft wieder aufgenommen werden konnte. Es ist auf English geshrieben.