Innocence

Synopsis

Two illegal dock workers witness a woman drowning. Afraid of involving the police, they do not save her. Guilty or innocent? A nocturnal city teams with social rejects, lost and disaffected human beings: an undertaker; a blind pole dancer; an embittered philosopher; the mother of a serial killer. Loosely connected stories from the edge of society mysteriously interweave to create a lyrical and darkly comic passion play for our times. Disturbing, poignant but ultimately hopeful, Innocence asks unanswerable questions about conscience and compassion in a disfigured world. Dea Loher is Germany’s leading and most provocative playwright, noted for her original style and uncompromising picture of contemporary life.

Our Review:

Nancy Groves - 11 January 2010

As my first taste of German playwright Dea Loher’s work, I was hoping the Arcola’s production of Innocence would open the door to an unfamiliar world. Loher’s plays are relatively underperformed in the UK compared to the continent, where she is considered to be at the forefront of contemporary European theatre – she's known for her provocative style, and I went expecting to be disorientated.

And initially I was. Innocence opens with two illegal immigrants witnessing a young, red-headed woman stripping naked, wading into the sea and drowning, though whether by accident or intent no one can tell. There follows a series of scenes from the lives of other residents of this coastal town, seemingly disconnected save for the looming shadow of nearby apartment block ‘Suicide Tower’.

Images of darkness hang like salt in the air but there is comedy enough, too, from battleaxe Frau Zucker railing against her diabetes with the same b...

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