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Normal: The Düsseldorf Ripper

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Normal
Cover of Anthony Neilson Plays: 1, which features the published script of Normal
Written byAnthony Neilson
CharactersJustus Wehner
Peter Kurten
Frau Kurten
Date premiered7 August 1991 (1991-08-07)
Place premieredPleasance Theatre, Edinburgh
Original languageEnglish
GenreIn-yer-face theatre

Normal (full title Normal: The Düsseldorf Ripper) is Anthony Neilson's fictional account of Peter Kürten's life, told from the point of view of his lawyer. It is considered to be Neilson's breakthrough play.[1]

The play was first performed at the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh on 7 August 1991 and transferred to the Finborough Theatre, London on 1 October 1991. It was directed by Anthony Neilson and designed by Michael T. Roberts. It was revived at Styx, London in 2017, with Emma Baggott directing.[2]

Normal was published in Neilson Plays 1: Normal, Penetrator, Year of the Family, Night Before Christmas, Censor, Methuen Drama 1998, ISBN 978-0-413-72460-1.

In 2009 it was adapted into the Czech film Angels Gone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Reid, Trish (27 July 2017). The Theatre of Anthony Neilson. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4725-7032-1.
  2. ^ "Normal review – drama about real-life serial killer questions the nature of sanity". The Guardian. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  • Kevin De Ornellas, "Normal". In Gabrielle H. Cody and Evert Sprinchorn, eds, The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama, 2 volumes (Columbia University Press, 2007), volume 2, pp. 973–74. ISBN 9780231140324.