6/10 - A positive reality check - Niemand wartet auf dich, a one-woman show I'm glad I’ve not missed

Directed by Jochen Strauch, performed by Susanne Konstanze Weber, text by Lot Vekemans

Not all hope is lost when you come to realise that every small decision you take to better the world can create a ripple effect that will touch other people and who’ll also want to partake in this process. This was the message of the one-woman show ‘Niemand wartet auf dich’ directed by Jochen Strauch and skillfully interpreted by actress Susanne Konstanze Weber at the Schauspielhaus Graz. As it goes, it was also its last run and I consider myself lucky to have seen it.

The title of the show would roughly translate to ‘No one is waiting for you’. At first it can sound quite defensive. Why would I want to watch a show that starts on a downer? As ever, the beautiful, and somewhat typical thing that comes with attending a theatre show is that the choice as to how we interpret things will always lie with us. Good thing the performance itself addresses this issue fairly early on and therefore exposes two perspectives, two takes on this seemingly-hard-to-digest title: 1) we all are ultimately alone, left to our own devices and no matter what, we’ll always be alone to hustle through life AND/OR 2) for once we can just relax into the thought that all is good at all times, regardless of the ‘gravity’ our choices and actions bring with themselves, or the pressure we put on ourselves to reach that dangerous-yet-unfortunately-normalised hyper-accelerated pace of ‘achieving! achieving! achieving!’

@ Schauspielhaus Graz | Lamprecht

This one-woman show was a tour-de-force. Susanne didn’t portray only one character, but three. Moreover, these characters couldn’t be more different from each other, which in itself is quite the creative challenge considering you’re alone on the stage. The only aspect one could say they have in common is the will and desire to bring forth positive change through their daily actions, and reflect on the importance of these, not only in their private lives, but also in broader terms. Our beliefs create and also carry our reality, and our decisions have an impact on our immediate environment, be that political, social, economical, or environmental, whether we like it or not.

The portrayal of the first character, Gerda, an elderly lady, was very heart-warming and touching. The powerful performance from Susanne made the character instantly likeable - the mannerisms, voice inflections and costume used by the actor were so spot on that you could immediately identify Gerda as your typical 80-something year old granny you’d willingly want to spend your time with. She realises how small mundane things, like picking up the litter on her way to anywhere, can not only help one’s immediate environment, but also create a sense of personal fulfilment and happiness, even in her advanced age. This part in the show felt almost like a mirror being held up to us - I know, I am aware of the fact that theatre in itself is a mirror of society, but this time it wasn’t in your face, it was subtle, it was kind, it was approachable, and shame-free. Instead of leaving the theatre thinking how much one has to change and work on in one’s life, it was more of ‘I am now truly aware of the real problems AND solutions that I can implement in my life and not feel badly or guilty about not having done it more often, or at all.’

The show also made it quite clear how quick we are at judging others, almost forgetting that behind every mask a person puts on on a daily basis (we all are guilty of this), there is a human being with a heart and a soul.

@ Schauspielhaus Graz | Lamprecht

And so we are confronted with the story of the second character, the female politician Ida. She is stepping down from her function, confessing how she started out with big aspirations and the drive for change, positive change..but that the ‘game’ she eventually had to submit to in order to get at least some of her intentions accomplished, forced her to become the person, the mask that everyone saw in TV and public engagements. The sense of self is lost and that’s where the danger lies: when people cease to see the person for what they are - human beings like all of us - and view and assess them according to their ‘labels’. Most certainly politicians who ‘dare’ to show up as human beings nowadays would most probably be considered weak, and a certain mistrust around their persona would emerge. But hearing Ida address exactly these issues, issues close to her heart, was somehow not completely unbelievable - and I think this has probably something to do with the medium within which such a statement has been shared - the safety of a theatre platform, which per se is a stage where anything and everything can be discussed and reflected on without necessarily facing any ‘negative’ consequences - subject to debate I know, but nevertheless worth mentioning. Why can we only ‘safely’ (N.B. broadly used!) address such problems in a performance setting and not in real life too, without @ Schauspielhaus Graz | Lamprecht

attracting a shower of ‘attacks’ to our person, beliefs and convictions?

The aftershow conversation was a much needed open talk about the themes mentioned in the play. The audience who stayed behind reiterated the realities addressed in the performance and referred to their own experiences regarding the impact and the power similar small actions and habits have in their daily lives. I particularly loved the intergenerational exchange, which proved that we’re actually not that dissimilar in our worldviews. It was inspiring and left one with a very positive feeling of hope and a desire to start implementing small steps in our daily routines, because every small step filled with a strong intention will undoubtedly count towards shaping a brighter, more hope-filled future. A play that can speak the truth about urgent societal matters, but still leaves you with a positive after taste, is in my humble opinion what theatre should and can count as a success story. Thank you to Lot Vekemans for the text, the director Jochen Strauch, and actress Susanne Konstanze Weber for creating this positive reality check!

To find out more about this play please visit following link (German only): https://schauspielhaus-graz.buehnen-graz.com/play-detail/niemand-wartet-auf-dich