Man to Man
Man to Man by Manfred Karge (1938-)
Man to Man is the English title of the German one-woman play Jacke wie Hose by Manfred Karge. Based on a true story, it follows Ella Gericke, who on the death of her husband takes over his identity and lives as a man — Max Gericke, a crane operator — to survive the economic disaster of Weimar Germany and the Nazi years that follow.
Contents
The original text
Jacke wie Hose by Manfred Karge (born 1 March 1938, Brandenburg an der Havel) had its world premiere in 1982 at the Schauspielhaus Bochum, directed by Karge, and became his best-known work.
Translations and adaptations
Translated into English as Man to Man by Anthony Vivis; this version had its UK premiere at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in 1987, directed by Stephen Unwin and performed by Tilda Swinton, before transferring to the Royal Court and being filmed.
Translated into Afrikaans by Willem Anker as As die Broek Pas ("If the trousers fit", a play on the idiom "as die skoen pas", "if the shoe fits").
Performance history in South Africa
1989: Performed at the Market Theatre, directed by Maralin Vanrenen, with Elsabie Zietsman.
2010: Produced by TEATERteater in both Afrikaans and English versions, directed and designed by Marthinus Basson, with Antoinette Kellermann as Ella/Max Gericke. The Afrikaans production, As die Broek Pas, opened at the US Woordfees in Stellenbosch (a US Woordfees / Absa KKNK co-production) and went on to the Absa KKNK that year. The English version, Man to Man, opened at the National Arts Festival in July 2010. The two productions then ran in tandem at the Fugard Theatre, Cape Town, in August and September 2010. The play and performances won numerous awards* that year.
Sources
Ruphin Coudyzer. 2023. Annotated list of his photographs of Market Theatre productions. (Provided by Coudyzer)
http://www.teaterteater.com/portfolio.html
'Woordfees 2010: Volledige program', LitNet, 18 January 2010.
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