entertaining and challenging drama
Tadzio Speaks . . .
(aka Death on the Lido)
London 2013 & Edinburgh Fringe 2014
‘I never spoke to him.’
In Thomas Mann’s novella Death in Venice, subsequently filmed by Luchino Visconti, the aging Gustav von Aschenbach is besotted by the beauty of a boy he sees when staying in a hotel in Venice. Although the young Tadzio is aware of the older man, the two never speak, even as Aschenbach’s physical and mental health deteriorate and he dies watching his beloved on the beach.
Decades later Tadzio looks back at that fateful summer and reveals the impact it had on his adult life. This one-man play was written and directed by Martin Foreman and performed by Christopher Peacock in several venues in London and Edinburgh.
“niche production that fits perfectly into the category of good fringe theatre”
a film of the performance is on YouTube
The playscript – and rights to perform – is available under the revised title of Death on the Lido on Amazon and ebay.