Don't worry, it only hurts: Instructions for a Castorf evening

A reader asked: How does one survive Frank Castorf's physically and mentally challenging plays? Our theater editor has some advice.

Andreas Döhler and Artemis Chalkidou in “Little Man, What Now?” Jörg Brüggemann

An obvious, yet never-before-posed, question reaches the theater critic just in time for the next Castorf performances at the Berliner Ensemble. A Mr. F. plans to see the upcoming stage adaptation of Fallada's novel "Little Man, What Now?" After reading the review, he has discovered that the evening lasts five hours and now asks: "Does director Frank Castorf himself offer any guidelines for attending his productions? Or what advice, what recommendations would you give me for attending a Castorf production? A 'survival strategy', so to speak?"