Danielle Tarento presents Manfred Karge’s one-woman play MAN TO MAN at Park Theatre

Following a successful, sell-out run at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, Danielle Tarento presents Manfred Karge’s one-woman play Man To Man at Park Theatre, directed by Tilly Branson.  Tricia Kelly returns as the widow Ella who takes on the identity of her dead husband, in a rare British production of this enthralling play that premiered at the Traverse in 1987, catapulting Tilda Swinton to fame.  The show opens in Park90 on 6 November, with previews from 4 November and runs until 30 November. 

What lengths would you go to put the next meal on the table?

As the Nazis come to power in Germany, a young widow discovers that her only means of survival is to take on her dead husband’s job and with it his identity. Her struggle to maintain this extraordinary deception for over forty years forms the focus of this hauntingly poetic and utterly gripping one-woman tour-de-force.

 Manfred Karge is a writer, director and actor.  His first play was Jackie wie Hose, translated into English asMan to Man.  It was first staged in 1982 at the Schauspielhaus Bochum and then played under the English title at the Traverse Theatre in 1987 and the Royal Court in 1988.  His second play Conquest of the South Pole followed in 1988 (Traverse Theatre and Royal Court) and was also filmed.  His other major plays include Claire, Lieber Niembsch, Killerfische, Die bärtige Frau, Mauerstücke, Faust 1911 and Faust - Ein Gastmahl/Faust - Eine Höllenfahrt.  He has directed Schweyk in the Second World War, Fear and Suffering of the Third Reich, The Caucasian Chalk Circle and the Hanns Eisler Revue and his most recent acting credits include Richard II, Mother Courage und Ihre Kinder and Die Heilige Johanna der Schlachthöefe.

Anthony Vivis is best known for his translations of Fassbinder, Kroetz and Karge and his work has been performed at the National Theatre, the RSC, the Royal Court and the Gate Theatre.  His translations also cover contemporary Austrian drama, including that of Nobel Prize winner, Elfriede Jelinek.  His translation ofThrough the Leaves has been performed in the West End (Duchess Theatre) and at many other venues in the UK and abroad. For several years he was Dramaturg of the RSC.   

Tricia Kelly plays Max Gericke.  Her theatre credits include Hope Place (Everyman Theatre, Liverpool),Responsible Other (Made by Brick/Hampstead Downstairs), Cannibals (Royal

Exchange), The Kitchen (National Theatre), Uncle Vanya (Arcola Theatre/Belgrade), Tiger Country, The Maths Tutor (Hampstead Theatre), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (West End/Chichester/UK tour/Toronto), Unprotected (Everyman Theatre, Liverpool/Traverse), Some Explicit Polaroids (Out of Joint - UK and US tour), Ion, Julius Caesar (RSC), Local (Royal Court Upstairs), The Seagull, The Government Inspector, As You Like It (Sheffield Crucible), Season’s Greetings, A Whisper of Angel’s Wings, Julius Caesar(Birmingham REP), King Lear, Not I, Two, Sunsets and Glories (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Voysey Inheritance (Edinburgh Lyceum), Amphytryon (Gate Theatre) and Venus and Lucrece (Almeida Theatre).  Her television work includes In Sickness and in Health, Christabel and My Family and for radio her credits include Pilgrim, St Brice’s Day, A Year and a Day and Kes.

Tilly Branson directs. She is Associate Director at New Perspectives Theatre Company, for whom she has directed Entertaining Angels by Brendan Murray (Lakeside Arts Centre and touring), Due Course andGoldfish, two touring shows created by New Perspectives’ STEP UP Creatives training ensemble. She is an associate member of all-female theatre company The Gramophones, most recently directing End to End. She was previously Assistant Director on Those Magnificent Men (Edinburgh Fringe and two national tours) andSkybus (Derby LIVE).

Danielle Tarento was named Best Producer at the 2012 Off West End Awards and this year won Best Off West End Production at the 2014 Whatsonstage Awards and Best Musical Production at the 2014 Off West End Awards for Titanic at Southwark Playhouse. She has also produced Dogfight, Three Sisters Victor/Victoria, Mack & Mabel, Parade, and Company at Southwark Playhouse, Taboo (Brixton Clubhouse), The Pitchfork Disney (Arcola), Burlesque, Drowning on Dry Land (Jermyn Street) and Noël and Gertie (Cockpit). She is co-founder of the Menier Chocolate Factory and co-produced all in-house shows 2004 - 2006, including Sunday In The Park With George, which received a West End transfer and five Olivier awards.