A Brief "Visit" into the Theatre of Grotesque.

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Friday, January 14th, 2022
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

What would you be prepared to do for a million dollars? This is the deceptively simple question asked by Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt in his 1956 play The Visit (first performed and published in German as Der Besuch der alten Dame). As the drama begins, the townsfolk of Güllen—the word connotes “slurry” or “liquid manure” in English—are waiting for the return of one Claire Zachanassian, who grew up there but who has since moved away, made good, and amassed a fortune. The town has been in the doldrums recently, and everyone hopes that Claire will provide a much-needed injection of capital to help get them back on their feet. There’s a catch, however: Claire agrees to give the town a donation of one billion francs if they agree to murder Alfred Ill, Güllen’s storekeeper and all-round favourite. It turns out that, years earlier, Claire and Alfred were lovers, but their relationship was poisoned when Alfred betrayed her; she has returned home, it now becomes clear, to exact a twisted, long-nurtured vengeance. Writing in the wake of Swiss neutrality during World War 2—which included maintaining diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany—as well as increased economic prosperity in the 1950s, Dürrenmatt asks probing questions about the relation between morality, justice, wealth, and violence.

The Visit has long been a favourite of Potter’s. As he says, “Dürrenmatt's play The Visit has been a fascination for me since first coming across it. The grotesque satirical nature of the piece, using humour to explore issues that dig deep into the fabric of society, allows us to create an evening of theatre that delivers a full spectrum of experiences. The theme of ‘can capitalistic nature sway the morality of a population’ is as relevant now as it ever was, and wrapped in an absurd plotline allows us to have fun and laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.”

Intriguingly, in “A Brief ‘Visit’ into the Theatre of Grotesque,” Potter will talk about Dürrenmatt's play from the perspective of those who actually take (and set up) the stage—for The Visit is also the VIU Theatre Department’s spring play, with Potter taking the directing reins. The presentation will thus give us a unique look at the creative world behind the scenes of the upcoming production of this fascinating play.

Leon Potter has been working in theatre and film since 1989. Originally training at the University of Victoria as a set and lighting designer, Leon’s career spans a myriad of positions including director, actor, designer, and technician. Leon began working as a director in 1994 and quickly became the Artistic Director of the Looking Glass Theatre in Vancouver, as well as Blue Peanut Productions. He completed his training at the UK's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and King’s College, London with an M.A. (with distinction) in Directing. On top of his academic and professional work, Leon runs workshops and performs theatrical adjudications around the province.