13-17 Feb. 

Directed by Peter Brook, based on the novel by Can Themba. Together with his frequent collaborators Marie-Hélène Estienne and Franck Krawczyk, veteran stage director Peter Brook has set a short story by South African author Can Themba, to the stage.

Set in 1950s Johannesburg, Themba’s short story is based upon a simple idea: Philemon worships his wife, Matilda. Despite the grinding daily insult of life in segregated Johannesburg, Philemon is a happy man. Then he learns that Matilda has a lover who escapes from her bedroom leaving his suit behind on a hanger.

He takes revenge by making the suit a member of the marital household, even giving it a seat at the dinner table. In a stunning climax, he brings the suit to a party that has hitherto been a scene of defiant joy. This final action has tragic consequences, which you then realise have been foretold throughout.

This production has been performed in London and elsewhere to critical acclaim.

In English.

Teatro Palladium, Largo Bartolomeo Romano 8. Info tel. 65553050, www.teatro-palladium.it.