About the work
Bandscheibenvorfall, literally Herniated Disc, is a play by Ingrid Lausund, which the author herself premiered on 6 April 2002 in the Malersaal of the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg. Its subtitle, "an evening for people with poor posture," signals a biting look at everyday office life.
Plot
Five employees wait in the antechamber of a boss who never appears, each trying to outdo the others to make the best impression. One by one they disappear behind the door and return visibly battered, as competitive pressure and disinformation escalate. In the second half the initially stereotyped characters soften, and individual monologues reveal each one's unfulfilled personal longings.
Cultural significance
The play is regarded as a biting farce about self-optimization and competitive pressure under flat office hierarchies and was widely restaged on German-language stages after its premiere.