A revival of the play Man to Man, based on Manfred Karge’s Jacke wie Hose, is set to begin at London’s Royal Court Theatre, running until 24 October. It will then move to Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre from 29 October to 7 November, and later be staged in New York in February. The play, originally translated by Anthony Vivis and expanded with two new scenes, explores themes of female resilience in a divided world, touching on the 12 years of Nazi rule, the division of Germany into East and West, and the post-war rebuilding. The new scenes specifically address the fall of the Berlin Wall and the resurgence of far-right movements in Germany. The original production of Man to Man gained significant attention during the 1987 Edinburgh Festival and later played at the Royal Court Theatre for three weeks. It was directed by Pierre Audi, who later founded the Almeida Theatre in London. The play was commissioned by Jenny Killick, then artistic director of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, and featured Tilda Swinton in the lead role. The creative team at the time included designer Bunny Christie and lighting designer Ben Ormerod, who were all in their early 20s. Manfred Karge, the playwright, was born into poverty in Brandenburg before World War II. He was discovered in 1961 by Helene Weigel, the wife of renowned playwright Bertolt Brecht. Karge went on to become an actor and director, working in many prominent German-speaking theatres. He wrote Jacke wie Hose, his first play, which he staged with his partner, Lore Brunner, in Bochum in 1982. He returned to Berlin in 1993 and has since continued to write, direct, and teach. He is considered one of the last living links to the original Brecht theatre tradition. The title Jacke wie Hose translates to “jacket like trousers” or “six of one, half-a-dozen of the other,” suggesting equivalence or similarity. The text is known for its unique blend of verse and prose, doggerel and realistic dialogue, as well as fragments of songs, poems, and quotes from both high and popular culture. The play provides no stage directions, allowing each production team to interpret and stage the work in their own way. In the original production, a thin red tape was used on stage to symbolize the division of Germany and the Berlin Wall. In the new scenes, Tilda Swinton will tear up that red tape, symbolizing the fall of the Wall and the performative nature of history in theatre. This revival seeks to honor the original production while engaging with contemporary issues and new theatrical approaches, incorporating fresh perspectives from younger collaborators.