Under the title “Nachspielzeit” (Injury Time), Jan Sobrie has created the story of an elderly man who occupies himself with the welfare of others as a waiter. He is an observer and companion of whom nobody takes any notice. At the beginning of the piece, a couple is at the centre of the action. One of them suddenly disappears, but soon reappears – unrecognised. Have these figures disappeared, or has a spell been cast on them? Are the two of them his parents in former years? Are they loves that he has not lived? Competitors? Bygone friends or lovers? The more tragic the waiter’s situation seems, the more exuberant, comical and poetic his imagination becomes.
Having authored pieces such as “Shut up,” “Titus” and “Remember me” for the Junges Schauspielhaus under the direction of Enrico Beeler, Jan Sobrie now works at the Schauspielhaus Zürich as an author as well as a director. In his plays he addresses controversial issues of our time, but always observes them from surprising perspectives, and in so doing often employs fantastical elements. A trademark of his writing is his sense of humour – be it caustically trenchant or delicately subtle.
