Alan Ayckbourn, Absent Friends (1974)

The comedy concerns one quite eventful Saturday evening and is entirely set in Diana and Paul’s living-room.

Colin must be comforted in his grief over the death of his fiancée, which is why his so-called “best” friends arrange a tea party for him. Ironically enough, Colin seems to be the only happy character in the play.

Colin’s friends have their own troubles: marital problems, sadness, affairs, arrogance, pretended illnesses, etc. How may Colin change their lives?

 

Cast members:

Diana:       Tessa Renner (JS2)            

Colin:         Nuno Dehmel (JS2)

Marge:       Paula Pantleon (JS2)          

Evelyn:      Franziska Grauer (JS2)      

John:         Marcel Schliebs (JS2)           

Paul:          Justus Raimann (JS2)

 

D:      You must come down for tea. Colin’s coming.

P:      Colin who?

D:      Colin. You know, Col –

P:      Oh, that Colin. Is he?  […]

D:      Now, Paul, you can’t do that. Colin is coming. He is your friend. You can’t   just go upstairs …

P:      Excuse me, he is not a friend of mine. He was never a friend of mine …