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 | |
Stadthalle Mülheim an der Ruhr
Theodor-Heuss-Platz 1, 45479 Mülheim an der Ruhr
PaderHalle
Heiersmauer 45-51, 33098 Paderborn
Kulturzentrum Wuppertal Applaus
Unterdörnen 85, 42283 Wuppertal
Kulturzentrum Wuppertal Applaus
Unterdörnen 85, 42283 Wuppertal
Kulturzentrum Wuppertal Applaus
Unterdörnen 85, 42283 Wuppertal
Stadthalle Hiltrup
Westfalenstraße 197, 48165 Münster
Kulturzentrum Wuppertal Applaus
Unterdörnen 85, 42283 Wuppertal
Kulturzentrum Wuppertal Applaus
Unterdörnen 85, 42283 Wuppertal
Stadthalle Hiltrup
Westfalenstraße 197, 48165 Münster
Rheinhausenhalle Duisburg
Beethovenstraße 20, 47226 Duisburg
Stadthalle
Lohstätte 7, 47533 Kleve
Stadthalle Mülheim an der Ruhr
Theodor-Heuss-Platz 1, 45479 Mülheim an der Ruhr
Stadthalle Mülheim an der Ruhr
Theodor-Heuss-Platz 1, 45479 Mülheim an der Ruhr
Theater am Marientor
Plessingstraße 20, 47051 Duisburg
Stadthalle Mülheim an der Ruhr
Theodor-Heuss-Platz 1, 45479 Mülheim an der Ruhr
Eurogress, Brussel Saal
Monheimsallee 48, 52062 Aachen
Stadthalle Hiltrup
Westfalenstraße 197, 48165 Münster
PaderHalle
Heiersmauer 45-51, 33098 Paderborn