Ludwig II – Der bayerische Patient

Ludwig II – The Bavarian Patient

His Majesty King Ludwig II and psychiatrist Dr. Bernhard von Gudden meet posthumously. Emotions running high are bound to follow!
Von Gudden, who authored the expert report that led to the king’s incapacitation at the time, initially finds himself facing Ludwig II’s fierce accusations. He is accused of making a remote diagnosis, of being unworthy of his profession, and ultimately of being complicit in the monarch’s tragic death.
But Gudden defends himself; as they talk, the two grow closer, and lo and behold: they seem to have more in common than initially thought—not least a cold death in the lake.

Interesting perspectives come to light: not only does Ludwig feel misunderstood, but Dr. Gudden also feels he is not receiving the recognition he believes he deserves. After all, he was medically far ahead of his time—just like the king, who would have loved to fly over the Alpsee in a flying machine! But what remains in the dedicated physician’s memory is the royal disaster.

In this two-person play, historical facts—intensively and thoroughly researched—are woven in a humorous way into a fictional stage plot, in which many a twist comes as a surprise; not least, at times even Dr. Gudden himself ends up on the therapist’s couch.

“As educational as it is funny… An exciting conversation—which one person sees as a royal audience, another as a therapy session.”
SZ, November 22, 2024, by Anja Blum