Skip to main content
2008

The Ugly One

Written by Marius von Mayenburg

Play Details

Context

Artistic Director 
Dominic Cooke

Dates Performed

Tuesday 10th June 2008
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs

Play Details

Synopsis

In a modern city where appearances are everything, beneath the surface lies a world obsessed with image and identity.

Lette, a successful engineer, has always considered himself average until he discovers the shocking truth: he is deemed unbearably ugly by his peers. This revelation comes to light when he is prevented from presenting his invention at a conference, a task handed over to his assistant instead. Desperate and humiliated, Lette turns to a plastic surgeon for a radical transformation. The surgery is a success beyond his wildest dreams, turning him into a stunning Adonis. However, his newfound beauty brings unforeseen complications.

As Lette’s life dramatically changes, he climbs the social and professional ladders, becoming rich, famous, and desired by many. But the play’s incisive satire reveals the darker side of this metamorphosis. Lette’s perfect face becomes a commodity, leading to a series of surgeries that replicate his features on others. This commodification of beauty raises profound questions about identity, individuality, and the societal obsession with physical appearance.

Director(s)

Ramin Gray

Cast & Creative

Cast

Amanda Drew

Cast

Michael Gould

Cast

Mark Lockyer

Cast

Frank McCusker

Cast

Simon Paisley Day

Designer

Jeremy Herbert

Lighting

Charles Balfour

Sound

Nick Powell

You may also like...

Posh

Posh

2010

Laura Wade

Cleansed

Cleansed

1998

Sarah Kane

Linda

Linda

2015

Penelope Skinner


Want to read the script?

 

Visit the Royal Court bookshop