bitter comedy
“Bella Figura” is a phrase borrowed from Italian. It totally suits the protagonists of the new play by the currently most successful French author Yasmina Reza, winner of the prestigious Laurence Olivier Prize, the Tony Award, the Grand Prix of the French Academy and the Molière Award. She wrote this comedy to order for the Schaubühne Berlin. The author accurately analyzes the way of life of today´s middle-aged people. Their main goal in life is to show themselves to everyone around in the best possible light under all circumstances. They enjoy everything that glitters, they want to be beautiful, to be cared for and caressed, to be dressed in the most attractive brands, to drive the best cars and visit the most famous restaurants, to travel to the most famous destinations. They are successful in their professions, they obey the law and take exemplary care of their children, their parents and grandparents. But what is hidden under all this beauty?
Everything starts to get complicated when Boris, while driving his unbalanced lover Andrea, knocks down an elderly lady named Yvonne while reversing in a parking lot. Nothing happens to her and she ends up inviting both of them to her birthday party. This wouldn´t be strange if Yvonne wasn´t the mother-in-law of Boris´s wife’s best friend. When Eric, who is unhealthily attached to his mother (a slightly deranged woman with a strange sense of humour), begins to try to save this unpleasant situation, the meeting of five people over champagne turns into an absurdly crazy evening full of those grotesque moments that only life itself can bring.
Through well-honed dialogues and a correctly dosed level of humour, the author uncovers various bizarre details about the characters of those attending. Career successes crumble like a house of cards, intimate relationships fail to survive and the initial ostentatious friendliness of all involved segues into something completely different. Egoism, hatred, prejudice, xenophobia and excellent, clever humour prevail in this extremely well-written cruel comedy…
