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Hello. I'm having trouble understanding a part in a play called Licking Hitler...
The situation is like this...
It's WWII and a team of British propaganda unit is devising up a plan to tarnish the image of the mayor of Cologne(Germany)... Duffendorf (or Burgomaster) is the mayor who gets caught with his mistress (Ilse Schmidt)... What I do not understand is the line by ANNA. What pun is she talking about? The Frau in the line above means Mrs. in German...
And what was the Burgomaster trying to deliver? and to whom?
And what "particular path" is he talking about???
Thanks
ARCHIE: ...what Duffendorf's been up to. Everyone in Cologne is talking about what the telegram boy saw when he looked through the letterbox trying to deliver. What he saw was the Burgomaster trying to deliver to Frau...
ANNA: (Not looking up) That pun won't translate.
EILEEN: Ilse Schmidt.
ARCHIE: Trying to deliver to Frau Ilse Schmidt. Well we know how many people have been down that particular path before. But what is unusual is what she was wearing...
A leather bathing costume.
A leather bathing costume. And him standing with a hosepipe in his hand.
Hello. I'm having trouble understanding a part in a play called Licking Hitler...
The situation is like this...
It's WWII and a team of British propaganda unit is devising up a plan to tarnish the image of the mayor of Cologne(Germany)... Duffendorf (or Burgomaster) is the mayor who gets caught with his mistress (Ilse Schmidt)... What I do not understand is the line by ANNA. What pun is she talking about? The Frau in the line above means Mrs. in German...
And what was the Burgomaster trying to deliver? and to whom?
ARCHIE: ...what Duffendorf's been up to. Everyone in Cologne is talking about what the telegram boy saw when he looked through the letterbox trying to deliver. What he saw was the Burgomaster trying to deliver to Frau... And what "particular path" is he talking about???
Thanks
ANNA: (Not looking up) That pun won't translate.
EILEEN: Ilse Schmidt.
ARCHIE: Trying to deliver to Frau Ilse Schmidt. Well we know how many people have been down that particular path before. But what is unusual is what she was wearing...
A leather bathing costume.
A leather bathing costume. And him standing with a hosepipe in his hand.
2 answers
The Particular Path refers to previous encounters that Frau has had.
The Burgomaster is the most recent rendezvous the Frau has welcomed.
This type of slapstick comedy was typical of French, German, and US stage during the Vaudeville times, and is very vivid in the movie Cabaret, which is set during the 30's in Germany. Viewing that movie would give you some insight to the decandent times in Europe the play is obliquely refering. English, and in particular polite British society, view these shenagangs from a Victorian moralistic vantage, in in this play, mocked them.
I encourage you to see Cabaret.
The Burgomaster is the most recent rendezvous the Frau has welcomed.
This type of slapstick comedy was typical of French, German, and US stage during the Vaudeville times, and is very vivid in the movie Cabaret, which is set during the 30's in Germany. Viewing that movie would give you some insight to the decandent times in Europe the play is obliquely refering. English, and in particular polite British society, view these shenagangs from a Victorian moralistic vantage, in in this play, mocked them.
I encourage you to see Cabaret.
1 answer