WOLF, THE

by Molnar, Ferenc

A leading example of Molnár’s genius for dissecting human relationships, while concealing deep compassion beneath a surface of cynical mockery. The centre-piece is a brilliant dream sequence of Freudian ‘Alice-in-Wonderland’ surrealism, where the same actor appears at a ball as four different incarnations of the ‘old flame’ who has come to whisk Vilma away from her jealous husband and stale marriage. Eugen, Vilma and Szabo, ‘the man from the past’, are surrounded by a host of well-drawn minor characters, each of whom has a specific contribution to make.
   The Wolf explores the same themes of love and jealousy within marriage that we encounter in The Guardsman. Frank Hauser’s production for the Oxford Playhouse in 1979, starring Judi Dench, Leo McKern and Edward Woodward, was an enormous success and subsequently played the Apollo Theatre in London.