In the artist's words:

Joris Gratwohl was born and raised in Switzerland. After his career as a professional footballer with FC Aarau, he trained as an actor at the European Film Actor School in Zurich and at San Diego State University (USA) from 1996 to 1999.

Since then, Joris Gratwohl has appeared in numerous theater productions, feature films, TV series and films in Switzerland and Germany. His best-known role is probably that of Alex Behrend, which he has played in the ARD series "Lindenstraße" since 2001. He can currently be seen on Amazon Prime in Hillarious with Martina Hill and on Netflix in the series Liebes Kind.

As an author, Joris Gratwohl has written 3 plays and co-wrote the documentary The Villa Massimo by Iain Dilthey. His current play In der Mitte. is set in a bar. Since the end of 2024, Gratwohl has been performing the play in Cologne's Südstadt in the cult pub "Backes" and from January 2026 in the Kwartier Latäng in Cologne in the Irish pub BUSKERS.

IN THE MIDDLE

A play by and with Joris Gratwohl. The bar is the stage. The audience sits in the middle of the scenario.

Max enters the bar, sits down on a stool at the counter and carefully places a beer mat he has brought with him on the bar. The barman draws a beer without being asked and places it on the bar without saying a word. Just like you do with your regulars.

The same ritual every week for the last five months. Back then, Max had a wonderful, timeless moment with a woman right here. "She didn't say anything, just looked". The only thing she left him back then was this beer mat with the lines: "I'll come back when time no longer matters - when you're ready". What did she mean by that? He has been waiting ever since. Always Sundays, same time, same place. "Today she will come, today she must come! She is the answer to my questions".

A dark vision threatens him: he sits as an old man in front of the fireplace and looks back. "Why didn't I do it differently? I had goals. I had dreams." Would have, would have, could have ... but now it's too late! "Wake up already!"

But Max is too confused. The maelstrom of his thoughts is pulling him ever closer to the abyss.

And he is afraid. He meets her in person. Other characters appear: the singer, Oskar, the soccer coach, the Frenchman, the general, the psychologist, the clown and the boxer. All united in this one bar.

Max wanders through space and time with his Swiss brother in tow. On a journey to himself.
On his way from the phrase piggy bank to true being.
But his salvation is near: "Today she will come, today she must come."

Das BUSKERS in der Beethovenstraße 17 in 50674 Köln hat täglich geöffnet von 20.00 Uhr bis 01.00 Uhr