The blurb for the play describes it as "the real-life tale of German transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. Charlotte lived openly as a cross-dresser for almost her entire life under two of the most conformist regimes of the 20th Century, Nazism and Communism." Naturally I was intrigued, this sounded like nothing I'd seen before.
The set was simple, a grand room with wooden floors and sloping angles and a table and two chairs towards the middle - a chandelier hung from the ceiling, and large mirrors hung from the walls. The lights dimmed and the sole actor of the show, John Cronin stepped out onto the stage.
From that moment on, the audience were captivated as Cronin acted out 36 different characters using a variety of accents, languages and dialects. The story was astounding, you could't have made it up, and Cronin's efforts to recreate the many colourful characters was fantastic. If you didn't think that a story about a German transvestite was your thing, I guarantee that Doug Wright's play would entertain even the most cynical of minds; it was humorous, informative and painted a picture of von Mahlsdorf's world that you couldn't help but dive right into.
I Am My Own Wife basically tells the story of transvestite antiquarian Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf - born Lothar Berfelde and how she survives (and even thrives) through both Nazism and Communism. She killed her Nazi father, escaped from prison and even escaped a firing squad when she was only a child. This is a remarkable and true story that will never leave you, and I urge everyone who is even a little bit curious, to see this play!
Who wrote this...?
I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like reading, hip-hop, dub step, anything acoustic and Food Network TV.