“Brother: A Play About Addiction and Love Triangles by Simon Gray”

The author, who wrote more than 40 plays, several novels and many of his diaries, struggled with addiction throughout his life. He smoked sixty cigarettes a day and was addicted to alcohol, his daily dose was three bottles of champagne. He spent the Second World War with his younger brother in Canada with his alcoholic grandmother. After the war, their mother brought them back to England and gave them an education at both Oxford and Cambridge.

At the age of fifteen, Simon began to experience the love of his life, and the girl introduced him to literature, poetry and culture in general. He himself said that the meeting was initiatory for me and that it influenced him for the rest of his life. He became a dream role model for his younger brother, who took over his passion for alcohol from him. Unfortunately, he succumbed to this passion in 1996, and his death became the impetus for the creation of the play Brácha. The play is a drama with autobiographical elements for Simon Gray. The work is considered the playwright’s best work.

Pavel Ondruch, the director of this performance and chief dramaturg of the Ungelt Theater explains: “It is important to say that this is an intimate family saga. The story takes place over a period of 24 years. Two lines intertwine through the plot. The first is addiction and the fact how easily and quickly a person falls into it and that there is almost no possibility to break free from it. The second is the traditional love triangle – two men and one woman. In this case, two brothers. All this is spiced up with amazing dialogues.”

In the words of principal Milan Hein, the drama was undertaken by a “famous trio of actors”. Veronika Khek Kubařová performed in Ungelt for the first time and, as she says, she was convinced by the intimacy of the small stage and above all by the two acting partners. For Igor Orozovič, this engagement in Ungelt is the third, and the theme of the game and the possibility to appear on these boards again were crucial to his decision. Marek Němec is in Ungelt as an actor for the first time. He states that he greatly appreciates this opportunity and relives every rehearsal with his fellow actors. He stated that, like most theater actors, he is “hungry” as an actor after covid, which is why he welcomes the huge chance. However, the German is not unfamiliar with the Ungelt environment. He worked here as a director in the productions Life According to the Joneses and Sing as Gigli.

With the play Brother, whose author Simon Gray is a holder of the Order of the British Empire, playwright, writer and professor of English literature, the Ungelt theater closes its activity on the stone stage and moves to the summer stage. It’s a decent point. Don’t miss it.