THE END OF LONELINESS

Desmond's comment

This production marks the world premiere staging of the celebrated novel by German-Swiss writer Benedict Wells, The End of Loneliness (Vom Ende der Einsamkeit). The play resonates with a nostalgia similar to the works of Édouard Louis—whose novels have similarly become favorites for theatrical adaptation—and echoes the emotional depth of Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life. This stunning adaptation took place at Schauspielhaus Bochum, one of Germany’s most prestigious yet frequently overlooked theatre companies. Director Guy Clemens deserves immense praise for crafting this deeply heartfelt adaptation. Personally, it stands as one of the very few page-to-stage translations in recent years that successfully conjures the core spirit of the source material while elevating it through nuanced theatricality. Clemens’ memory-play approach is poetic, subtle, and entirely believable, aided beautifully by Anja Rabes’ minimalist stage design.