Venice in the Snow

A French comedy and social satire full of energy and wit by Gilles Dyrek.
Director: Petra Wintersteller

Natalie and Jean-Luc are planning their wedding while renovating their old Parisian apartment. That evening they are expecting Christophe and his girlfriend Patricia, whom they have never met. Patricia, however, has no desire to spend an evening with strangers. On the way there, the two of them argue fiercely. In a fit of anger, she decides not to say a single word all night - which leads the hosts to assume she is a foreigner. They feel sorry for her and try to make her feel welcome. When Patricia realises the misunderstanding, she decides to have some fun: she starts speaking in a made-up language and invents a homeland called Chouwenia. Christophe wants to sink through the floor in embarrassment, while Patricia revels in the absurd situation - and the evening for four unfolds in a way nobody could have predicted...

Relationship comedy or social satire? Both. Plays like "Venice in the Snow" have been called therapy sessions, because it is the entire affluent society that ends up on the couch. Audiences can recognise themselves in this turbulent yet thoughtful comedy, laugh freely, and come away with something to think about.

The director on the play: "Venice in the Snow won me over immediately - because it starts with a small misunderstanding and lets a gloriously large chaos grow from it. I love plays that show how quickly we get tangled up in our own assumptions - while being absolutely convinced we are in the right. What draws me most is how finely the humour is crafted: a glance, a pause, a misheard word - and the evening takes an unexpected turn. That is the charm of this comedy. I look forward to discovering these surprisingly human moments together with the ensemble. Because perhaps we will all recognise ourselves a little in them."