Woody Allen wrote and directed Husbands and wives in the period just before his own relationship with Mia Farrow failed. Scenes in which the story develops are alternated by documentary scenes in which the characters are interviewed separately and look back on what happened. A fight between the urge for freedom and the need for security breaks loose. Husbands and wives confronts us with questions we all ask ourselves at some point. When is a relationship over? And how to go on? Do you cling to what you have or be open to something completely new? How well do you know yourself, your partner, your friends? Can you be lonelier in a relationship than when you are alone?

At a certain point, Gabe says: Life is not a Hollywood film. It’s a foreign film. It is not a coincidence that Husbands and wives is in many ways similar to Scenes from a marriage, the big divorce story by Woody Allen’s mentor and admired example Ingmar Bergman.



May 2016

Produced by Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
Text Woody Allen
Directed by Simon Stone
Cast Helene Devos, Marieke Heebink, Robert de Hoog, Ramsey Nasr, Halina Reijn, Gijs Scholten van Aschat
Translation Rik van den Bos
Dramaturge Peter Van Kraaij
Scenographer Bob Cousins
Light design Bernie van Velzen
Music Stefan Gregory
Costumes An D'Huys
Assistant director Olivier Diepenhorst
Assistant scenography Manon Veldhuis

Website ITA