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Fireface

Paperback. 12,00 / 19,50 cm. In Turkish. 63 p.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

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Marius von Mayenburg

26 books25 followers

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5 stars
15 (19%)
4 stars
33 (42%)
3 stars
25 (32%)
2 stars
4 (5%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Doug.
2,718 reviews996 followers
October 30, 2023
4.5, rounded down.

Although this was his 4th play, written in 1997, it was the one that catapulted von Mayenburg to international acclaim, both in Germany, and via English language productions in the UK and NYC. It also was awarded the Kleistförderpreis für junge Dramatiker and Preis der Frankfurter Autorenstiftungs prizes for drama. It's not surprising that the playwright also translated plays by Sarah Kane into German, as they share a theatrical aesthetic.

The play concerns an odd family in which the two children are somewhat pathological - they not only are incestuous, but the younger boy, Kurt, is a pyromaniac and eventual patricidal/matricidal maniac. At times surrealistic, at time jarringly naturalistic, the two sides often seem to be as much at war with each other as are the characters. I'm not quite sure what it all adds up to, but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say it was a critique of German middle-class complacency. Would love to see how it holds up onstage, but doubt there'll be any local productions any time soon.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/29/th...
http://www.curtainup.com/firefacelon....
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...
https://oughttobeclowns.com/2012/10/r...
Profile Image for nic.
27 reviews1 follower
March 24, 2025
evocative and cruel. interesting in form and subjective in interpretation and physical deliverance.
Profile Image for Christopher.
313 reviews29 followers
November 30, 2008
Absolutely fascinating play about how a family deals with and refuses to deal with a "problem child". It is also about relationships, society, and emotional confusion.

The only thing that kept me from giving this play five stars is that it lacks either the grandeur or stylistic ingenuity or deep emotional investigation that makes a play a classic. It does however study these particular characters well while refusing to explain-away bad behavior. It is a play of our times and worth reading or seeing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews