Wutschweiger

Ebeneser and his parents have to move out. Just for a while, his father says. But it feels as though a giant vacuum cleaner has sucked everything up. In the corridor of his new building, Ebeneser bumps into Sammy. Sammy is the best goalie. Sammy knows where to get mussels prepared just the way her mother used to love them. And Sammy can also explain what an electricity meter is and what it’s for. Ebeneser’s parents shrink every time a new bill arrives, so it’s good to have a tough best friend who knows the ropes, someone dependable who is always willing to help. The children share their backstories with each other, and while Sammy shows remarkable strength as she defies the injustices of her daily life, Ebeneser finds a way to explain even the incomprehensible with his imagination. The highlight of the year is the school skiing trip. It is an opportunity for the class to bond and promises to be the experience of a lifetime. For six months now the class has been drawing snowmen and training the most important skiing muscles in PE. The two friends ponder how to get their hands on the gear they need. The skiing week is a low priority on his father’s list of upcoming expenses, such as rent, electricity, light, and the damp patches in the kitchen – a fact Ebeneser tries to ignore, as he does the constant payment reminders from the school. When they are told they cannot take part, Ebeneser and Sammy take a stand by refusing to speak at school. 

Jan Sobrie and Raven Ruëll’s multi-layered play WUTSCHWEIGER uses humour and warmth to address social injustice, powerlessness and the importance of friendship.