Venice in the Snow

THEATER / FROM / COURTYARD 2026

It was supposed to be just a nice evening among old friends: Jean-Luc unexpectedly runs into his college friend Christophe on the street after years and spontaneously invites him and his fiancée Nathalie over for dinner. While the picture-perfect couple Jean-Luc and Nathalie prepares the meal, Christophe and his girlfriend Patricia have a heated argument on the way there. Patricia is now even less inclined to attend a dinner where she knows absolutely no one and decides to remain silent the entire evening. However, it takes some time for the lovey-dovey hosts to notice Patricia's silence. Could it be that she doesn’t speak French? That she is a foreigner?

With diabolical pleasure, Patricia recognizes the situation and joins in the sinister game: suddenly, she speaks a made-up language and invents a war-torn homeland. Patricia's story triggers a wave of solidarity and compassion in the overly helpful hosts Jean-Luc and Nathalie, ultimately leading the evening down increasingly grotesque paths…

The author, director, and actor Gilles Dyrek hit the jackpot with his play "Venedig im Schnee," which premiered in 2003. This biting comedy not only exposes several common prejudices through sharp dialogue but also takes a jab at our entire society of concern, demonstrating with pinpoint humor how quickly politeness can turn into hypocrisy. Perhaps this farce is even more relevant today—over twenty years later—but it is certainly a treat for passionate actors and the audience alike.