Man to Man

In 1930s Germany, a woman puts on her dead husbands trousers and never takes them off.

The clock strikes five. It’s time to wear the trousers.

In 1930s Germany, a woman disguises herself as her dead husband to take over his job operating a crane.

As everything around her changes, she faces violence and war, humiliation and despair always finding ways to survive.

Almost 40 years after she first brough the role to life, Tilda Swinton makes her long-awaited return to the stage as Ella/Max in Anthony Vivis’ translation of Manfred Karges Man to Man – the role she originated in the acclaimed 1987 UK premiere at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, which transferred to the Royal Court in 1988.

This special edition is published to coincide with the landmark revival at the Royal Court Theatre in September 2026, directed once again by Stephen Unwin and designed by Bunny Christie, which visits the Tr