About the work
Der gute Tod (original Dutch title De goede dood, “The Good Death”) is a tragicomedy for six performers by the Dutch actor, director and playwright Wannie de Wijn. De Wijn directed the premiere himself; it opened on 23 January 2008 at the Leidse Schouwburg in Leiden, produced by Wallis Theaterproducties. The German translation is by Stephan Lack.
Plot
Bernhard is terminally ill with lung cancer and has decided to end his life with medical assistance: his friend and family doctor Robert will carry out the euthanasia at nine o’clock the next morning. On the evening before, his brothers, his daughter and other close companions gather in his living room while a storm rages outside. Amid wine, laughter and singing, quarrels, grief and anger break out, yet Bernhard holds to his decision.
Cultural significance
The original production, with Huub Stapel, Will van Kralingen, Peter Tuinman, Wilbert Gieske, Hans Thissen and Saskia Bonarius, won the Dutch Toneel Publieksprijs (theatre audience award) in 2008. In 2012 de Wijn adapted the play for the cinema with the same ensemble. In Stephan Lack’s translation it has also been staged in German-speaking theatres since the 2010s.