The Ugly One

Lette thought he was normal. When the extent of his ugliness is revealed he turns to a plastic surgeon for help. But after the bandages come off, Lette soon learns that there is such a thing as too beautiful.

'Owing glancing debts to Mary Shelley and HG Wells, Mayenburg's 60-minute play squarely hits any number of targets: our society's obsession with external beauty, the brutality of capitalism, and the danger of treating defining organs like mechanical parts. But, deftly translated from German by Maja Zade, the play makes its points with the lightest of touches.' Guardian

The Ugly One is a scalpel-sharp comedy on beauty, identity and getting ahead in life.

The play is published as a programme text edition to coincide with its British premiere at the Royal Court Theatre, London, on 13 September 2007.


About the Author

Marius von Mayenburg is a German playwright and translator whose previous plays include Fireface, which premiered at the Royal Court in 2000 and was published by Methuen Drama, Parasites and The Cold Child.