DIE HINRICHTUNG

An execution is a serious business. The double murderer Lorenz Demleitner is to be dispatched to the hereafter by the retired hangman Emerenz Reichelmeier. But because the gallows don't work, the dignitaries who would normally be present left long ago, and the hangman – actually retired – is only doing the job as a favour, the execution turns out to be rather more complicated than expected. No wonder the murderer complains about the lack of "customer friendliness" in the penal system. On top of that, the cleaning lady Anna Beindl throws the solemn proceedings into further disarray.

But what becomes of an execution in which nothing – absolutely nothing – works? A play for all lovers of wickedly black humour.

Born in 1950 in Fürstenfeldbruck in Upper Bavaria, the author BERND SPÄTH wrote three plays for the Badische Kammerschauspiele, with which the company toured successfully: "Kleiderwechsel", "Sehnsucht nach Bang Yai" and "Fenster auf - durchatmen". Since early 2002 Bernd Späth has worked as a writer, screenwriter and producer. He lives in Munich.

His black comedy "Die Hinrichtung" – originally a play for 10 actors – was rewritten by Bernd SPÄTH, at the request of Felix MITTERER and Pepi PITTL, as a three-hander for the m2 - Kulturexpress production at the CINETHEATRO in Neukirchen am Großvenediger, with the role of the cleaning lady Anna Beindl considerably expanded compared with the "original version".

PRESS
KRONENZEITUNG (15 August 2010)

A HOOT WITH DEPTH
It may only have been a guest performance at the Tiroler Volksschauspiele Telfs – but what a performance! "Die Hinrichtung" is a theatrical treat! The grave matter of an execution becomes great fun for the audience. All thanks to the superb cast: F. Adamski, C. Rabanser and Susanne Schartner.
A double murderer is to be executed. Only it's not that simple. The gallows have been scrapped, the hangman is on holiday. So his retired colleague has to step in. Problems come thick and fast. And the know-it-all cleaning lady does her bit to add to the chaos. A delicious comedy. But a comedy with depth. With a fine blade, it takes aim at many an EU regulation, at the ponderousness of bureaucracy and of the system itself. Even so, the audience's enjoyment comes first. Director Pepi Pittl turns it into a fast-paced, riotous romp without sacrificing the quieter, more thoughtful moments. The verbal double meanings are finely drawn out and each character is portrayed with pinpoint precision.
The play – which the author, at Felix Mitterer's suggestion, cut from more than ten characters to three – is perfectly cast with Florian Adamski, Charly Rabanser and Susanne Schartner. Adamski gives the double murderer sharp contours: knowledge of his imminent end paired with smart-alecky pedantry – priceless! Charly Rabanser is his virtuoso counterpart as the hangman, and Susanne Schartner, as the cleaning lady, displays every facet of her talent. A phenomenal trio with cult potential!

TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG (16 August 2010)

THREE LAWYERS AND A DUSTY GALLOWS
Rough tales at the Volksschauspiele in Telfs: "Die Hinrichtung"
... The premiere in the town hall, which the author also attended, was a sweaty affair – and not only for the actors. So much tomfoolery, too.
The gallows have astonishingly sticky cobwebs. The box into which the condemned man's body is to be disposed of has also seen better days. Hinges and locks jam. Demleitner, played by Tyrolean actor Florian Adamski, has been sentenced to death by the district court and seems to have been waiting a long time for his execution. At last the retired hangman Reichlmeier arrives (played by theatre-maker Charly Rabanser).With plenty of physical commitment and cabaret spirit, coarse jokes and ironic wordplay fly back and forth. The execution: a failed attempt. They are joined by the cleaning lady Beindl (quick with words and armed with bucket and toothbrush: Susanne Schartner). All three reveal themselves to be former lawyers. As it turns out, new EU directives mean the sentence cannot be carried out. But the colleagues soon come up with a way to bend the rules. In the end, the audience has to take the fall. How exactly will not be revealed here. Pepi Pittl directs this black slapstick. A bizarre evening, but not really one to win over audiences in Telfs.