The Visit: use of performance space

Set Design and Stage Use

Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s ‘The Visit’ is open to a wide array of stage interpretations. One predominant design is a traverse stage, which resembles the town of Guellen’s deteriorated train station on one end and the luxurious mansion on the other.
Highly suggestive scenes such as the forest scene and the horrifyingly grotesque scenes of multiple eunuchs often employ expressionistic set designs to produce an eerie, dream-like quality.
The distance on stage between characters often signifies their power dynamics or estrangement. The townsfolk of Guellen and Claire are usually kept distant, emphasizing Claire’s dominant position and the town’s submissive state.
The constant presence of the coffin and Claire’s henchmen on-stage serve as macabre reminders of Ill’s impending doom.

Use of Props

Props like Ill’s yellow shoes symbolise his progressing alienation and guilt, whereas his walking stick communicates his failing strength.
The continuous on-stage presence of the coffin underscores the ever-looming presence of death. It becomes a silent yet palpable character in the play, exerting psychological pressure over the characters and audience.
The use of money as a prop, showered from Claire’s suite onto the town, illustrates the drastic disparity between her wealth and the poverty in Guellen. The visuals of crumbled, destitute citizens stooping to collect money underlines their desperation.

Symbolic Use of Locations

The structure of Guellen, with its dilapidated public places and infrastructural ruin, signifies a morally and economically bankrupt society. When contrasted with Claire’s luxurious suite, it highlights the destructive power of her wealth.
The placement of the town’s shop, where Ill feels initially safe, represents community and familiarity. As the citizens start to shun Ill, the shop’s role as a refuge breaks down, reflecting the society’s moral disintegration.
The use of the forest, a labyrinthine, scary place where Ill ultimately meets his death, can symbolise the dark, tangled repercussions of societal neglect and blind pursuit of wealth. It stands as a universal symbol for humanity’s constant moral struggle.