In May 2026, German theatres will present the legendary play “The Bench” by Alexander Gelman — one of the key works of Soviet drama that has retained its artistic and human relevance for more than forty years. The new production will become a notable event of the theatrical season and will offer European audiences a contemporary interpretation of a classic text.
Written in 1983 and banned from performance for many years, The Bench explores themes of human closeness, loneliness and inner vulnerability. The story of a chance encounter between a man and a woman who once shared a common past unfolds as an honest dialogue about love, trust and the search for meaning. The play’s concise form combines psychological precision, emotional truth and subtle irony.
The first stage production of The Bench premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre under the direction of Oleg Efremov. The leading roles were performed by Tatiana Doronina and Oleg Tabakov. From this production began the play’s international stage history, later translated into dozens of languages and staged in many countries around the world.
The German version features:
• Alexey Panin — theatre and film actor, graduate of GITIS, who has worked at the Oleg Tabakov Theatre and the Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre, known for films such as Zhmurki, The Star, D.M.B., Soldiers and Truckers, and a two-time nominee for the Nika National Film Award;
• Vera Kutsenko — theatre and film actress known for her expressive dramatic style and precise psychological performance.
The Bench is a chamber play in which every word and pause becomes a direct conversation with the audience. The production addresses timeless themes — hope, love, the desire to be heard and the ability to be close to another person. The German premiere offers a careful and modern interpretation of a classic work that has preserved its emotional depth and dramatic intensity.
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| Date: | 27.05.2026 |
| Time: | 19:30 |
| Venue: | Gasteig / Carl-Orff-Saal |
| Address: | Rosenheimerstr. 5, 81667 München |
| Buy ticket | |
| All dates and venues | |
Konzerthaus Karlsruhe
Festplatz 9, 76137 Karlsruhe
Proton the Club
Königstraße 49, 70173 Stuttgart
Congress Centrum
Am Waisenhausplatz 1 - 3, 75172 Pforzheim
Festhalle Harmonie
Allee 28, 74072 Heilbronn
MHP Arena
Schwieberdinger Str. 30, 71636 Ludwigsburg
Congress-Centrum Ulm
Basteistraße 40, 89073 Ulm
Paulussaal Freiburg
Dreisamstr. 3, 79098 Freiburg
Konzerthaus Ravensburg
Wilhelmstraße 3, 88212 Ravensburg
Congress Centrum Würzburg
Pleichertorstr. 12, 97070 Würzburg
Sängerhalle Stuttgart
Lindenschulstraße 29, 70327 Stuttgart
Bürgerhaus Zähringen
Lameystraße 2, 79108 Freiburg
Edwin Scharff Haus
Silcherstraße 40, 89231 Neu Ulm
Konzerthaus Karlsruhe
Festplatz 9, 76137 Karlsruhe
Altes Feuerwehrhaus (Gemeinwesenzentrum) Stuttgart-Süd
Moehringer Str. 56, 70199 Stuttgart