Einer muss der Dumme sein

Recording from the Akademietheater, 1980

Monsieur Pontagnac follows Madame Vatelin all the way to her apartment—with the best of intentions, though unfortunately these are not entirely morally sound. He thus finds himself in a desperate need to explain himself when first his old friend and this very lady’s husband, Monsieur Vatelin, and then his own wife show up. Madame Vatelin and Madame Pontagnac immediately agree that marital fidelity must under no circumstances be broken—unless one’s own husband sets the example. Monsieur Redillon, a persistent suitor of Madame Vatelin, assures both ladies that he stands ready to serve as a willing instrument of revenge in this case. Meanwhile, Monsieur Vatelin—a model husband within the country’s borders—is reminded of an adventure in London by a surprise visit from a lady… Feydeau’s madcap comedy of hide-and-seek, pursuit, eavesdropping, and catching people in the act then reaches its climax at the Hotel Ultimus—an establishment where very few guests are married to one another—and even the police intervention does nothing to untangle the complications. One of Achim Benning’s legendary productions of Feydeau, featuring a cast that could hardly be surpassed. Premiere at the Akademietheater on November 4, 1980. Starring: Gertraud Jesserer, Elisabeth Orth, Maresa Hörbiger, Kurt Sowinetz, Heinrich Schweiger, Wolfgang Hübsch, and many more.