Die Panne

Die Panne ("The breakdown") is a German radio drama, TV drama, novel and play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921-1990)[1]

The original text

Written as a radio drama the tale tells the story of a traveller who, when his car breaks down, is invited for dinner by a former judge, after which nightmarish game is played in which he is judged and sentenced. In the morning he gets up, gatheres his things and drives away.

Translations and adaptations

The radio drama was almost immediately adapted as a novel, the traveller gets up in the morning, collects his repaired car and drives away completely unperturbed by the last night’s trial. In the prose version, he hangs himself after receiving his death sentence, leaving the old men dismayed that he has taken their game too far and ruined their perfect evening. (1956) as well as a TV play (1957) and a stage comedy (1979)

The novel was translated into English as A Dangerous Game by Richard Winston and Clara Winston (known as Traps in the USA).

Die Panne : eine noch mogliche Geschichte published by Arche in Zurich, 1966.

Translations and adaptations

An adaptation into Afrikaans by Leonora Nel is entitled Spel.

Translated from the original German into Afrikaans by Bartho Smit entitled Teenspoed: 'n nog moontlike verhaal. Published by Human & Rousseau, 1961 and in Bartho Smit-vertalings No 2, by HAUM 1985.

Performance history in South Africa

1964: Spel was presented by Pro Arte in Pretoria in 1964 starring, among others, Lourens Odendaal.

1971: Teenspoed was to have been presented in conjunction with Wolf, Wolf hoe laat is dit? (Aucamp) and Karel (Sławomir Mrożek) by Libertas Theatre Club under the direction of Marie van Heerden, opening 29 October 1971. However, in the absence of any theatre programme or newspaper reports (especially in the local Stellenbosch weekly paper Eikestadnuus), it is assumed that the production never materialised.