Der Talisman

Nestroy’s Talisman is a hilarious, vicious social comedy about the poison of prejudice. Titus Feuerfuchs is a flame-haired vagrant, who has »swapped his place of residence for the wide world« and is looking for work. His search is fruitless at first, because prejudice has more clout than empathy for an individual at their lowest ebb. Titus’ flame-red mop of hair inspires considerable dislike from those around him. Only Salome, who is also a red-headed outsider, gives the poor guy the time of day. He has a stroke of luck when he saves hairdresser Monsieur Marquis in an accident. As a thank you for being his talisman, he gives him a jet-black wig. Very soon, Titus uses his sharp wit and fluid identities to confidently blag his way past ludicrous mistakes, to the top of society.

This sadly pervasive pattern of exclusion is carried on too far here, resorting to the absurd. Johann Nepomuk Nestroy (1801–1862), was one of the founders of the Vienna Volksstück and a theatre person through and through – he was a singer, actor, theatre director, writer –, and he chose a prop for the talisman, the driving force of the story: a wig. Wigs of every colour play a decisive role in this story, alongside lucky and unlucky coincidences.