Josefstadt premiere

Two tragicomedians in the hell of oblivion

Herbert Föttinger (Al Lewis), Robert Meyer (Willie Clark)

(Bild: Theater in der Josefstadt/Moritz Schell)

The "Sonny Boys" are now on stage at the Theater in der Josefstadt: Robert Meyer and Herbert Föttinger take on great role models in Neil Simon's work of genius. You shouldn't miss it.

There are two ways to respond to the fashionable campaigns waged by a minority of dissatisfied or disaffected employees against successful cultural institutions: through complaints that set off another wave of defamation; or through first-class results.

The Salzburg Festival practiced model no. 2 convincingly last summer. Now the "Josefstadt" is ending a successful year with a Christmas production of format. Fortunately, both have sovereign supervisory bodies that are not intimidated.

Neil Simon's "Sunshine Boys" (locally: "Sonny Boys") have embodied world literary standards since 1972. The challenge for the two protagonists is enormous: there is nothing more delicate than playing a bad actor. Only the greatest can do it, and few have missed out on the bombshell roles of the forgotten comedians, who were infatuated with each other to the point of hatred.

Walter Matthau and George Burns, Gert Voss and Ignaz Kirchner, "Josefstadt" actor Otto Schenk and Helmuth Lohner have set standards that Robert Meyer and Herbert Föttinger now meet with flying colors. Director Stephan Müller takes the events to absurd extremes without neglecting the tragic dimension. Meyer is the depressive, the injured one. That's great (how can it be that the Burgtheater didn't bring him back as soon as he left the Volksoper?) Föttinger is the aggressive one, behind whose loud-mouthedness a wounded soul has barricaded itself.

Together with Dominic Oley and Larissa Fuchs, they form an ensemble of perfect tragicomedians and are responsible for one of the best performances currently to be seen on Viennese stages.